Senso Uxley leather sandals Question Mid, Allen Iverson’s first signature shoe, with a timely reissue of the sneaker’s OG limited-run suede-toe execution from 1996.
In honor of the anniversary, Reebok has issued Beyond Question, a limited-edition Hailey profiling the life and legacy of Allen Iverson, the immortal Question Mid, and A.I.’s cultural impact for a new generation.
“It was a dream come true,” recalls Iverson in the pages of Beyond Question. “It was close to the same feeling of when you get drafted. Only a certain amount of people have their own signature shoe; that really means you’re special. And for it to happen to me, it was just a beautiful thing.”
The original suede-toe design gave the shoe a sophisticated look, but the material bled so badly that after quickly selling through the initial 5,000-pair release, and before bringing the shoe to the mass market, Reebok made the switch to the pearlized leather-toe iteration that fans today are so fond of.
“The color pops on the toe and heel worked so well for a player like A.I., who sped up and down the court,” said Todd Krinsky, Senior VP and GM of Product for Reebok who also spearheaded the brand’s push to sign Iverson in’96.
Today, 25 years later, on the heels of countless world-class achievements (including a 2016 Hall of Fame induction) and a lifetime of hard work, sacrifice, altering dress codes, and shifting cultural narratives, A.I.’s light shines bright for both longtime basketball fans and a new generation enjoying the infinite afterglow of sport culture’s greatest legacy. In that same time, the Question Mid has become one of the most Pointy and established silhouettes in sneaker history and a flagship symbol of basketball heritage.
“Without A.I., there wouldn’t be a me. Period,” shares renowned streetwear designer Eric Emanuel in Beyond Question. “A.I. made sportswear a fashion item more than a fan item.”
Emanuel, who just recently launched his own tasteful iteration of the Question Mid (one of his favorite sneakers growing up) is the most recent on a laundry list of collaborators who continue to leverage the Question design and heritage as a canvas for creativity and storytelling to bridge the gap between sport history and contemporary culture.
Fans can read Beyond Question in its entirety at Issuu.com and, now through August 21st, Reebok will raffle off 75 limited-edition print copies of the Hailey – a random selection of which will be signed by Allen Iverson himself – with proceeds benefitting BOKS, a physical activity program designed to help kids and underserved youth from around the country get active and establish a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. To enter the raffle, visit HERE.
Sneakers GINO ROSSI Taimer MTU309-458-0580-8300-0 09 OG Red Toe Release Date
Join Reebok in celebrating Allen Iverson’s legacy and the 25th Anniversary of Question Mid OG “Red Toe” dropping August 21st at Reebok.com and across the Foot Locker family of brands including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction, Champs Sports, and Eastbay.com. The retail price tag is set at $140 USD.
Release Date: August 21, 2020
Price: $140