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New York Times

Reebok returns to golf with The Pump and Allen Iverson's The Question

Reebok recently announced the launch of a new golf footwear and apparel collection that marks its return to the sport with a throwback to two classic basketball shoes: The Pump and The Question. Tal Short, Director of Product, Performance at Reebok says the return to golf shoes was something the company had been considering seriously since golfers began getting back to courses in big numbers during the pandemic. Advertisement '(Reebok) had John Daly, which obviously was quite the figure to have. Greg Norman was a part of Reebok,' Short said. 'We've got history in the sport. We had a good run there for a while and it was fun just to kind of study it. We have an archive here, and looking at all the old shoes, we just felt like it was the right space. So we started thinking about what we wanted to do.' Headlining Reebok Golf's new era are the two aforementioned basketball-inspired shoes, plus a third:the Nano Golf (retail: $130), which are currently being worn by Bryson DeChambeau and his LIV Golf team Crushers GC (featuring Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri). The Nano Golf shoe is described as 'designed specifically for the performance and style needs of the next generation golfer.' The other two in this initial release would probably best be described as a blast from the past. The Question Golf shoe (retail: $180) pays homage to NBA Hall of Famer and former Philadelphia 76ers star guard Allen Iverson. While crossing someone over on the golf course is highly unlikely, these shoes bear an undeniable Iverson/basketball sneaker influence. Iverson announced the arrival of the Question Golf shoe on Instagram on Feb. 4. A post shared by Allen Iverson (@theofficialai3) Short says basketball brands, such as the Jordan Brand, are a growing trend in the golf marketplace and that Reebok wanted to capitalize on using some of its most well-known star power. 'The key (to the Question golf shoe) is the look. This kind of preppy toe. That works great. It stands out. Automatically you know what it is. So for us it was a no-brainer,' Short said. 'We're very protective of our retro basketball space. So we worked hand and hand with them, our CEO (Todd Krinsky) was big on pushing this shoe. He's good friends with Iverson. We obviously checked in with (Iverson). He's picking up golf now a days. He wasn't a traditional former athlete/golfer but as you've seen (on social media) he's out there hacking around like the rest of us. It just made sense. I think we can have some fun with this shoe. If you didn't know it was an Iverson shoe, it's still a great golf shoe. That age of golfer right now that was (a fan) when Iverson was popular (during his playing days) is really that golfing age right now. I think it's an easy win for us from a story standpoint but also the performance of the shoe.' The Question Golf shoe isn't the only retro style in the collection. You'll also be able to pump yourself up in the tee box. The most expensive offering among Reebok Golf's new trio of shoes is the OG Pump Golf (retail: $200). Designed to look like a classic saddle golf shoe, Reebok's 'The Pump' feature isn't on the tongue like it was for their classic basketball and cross training shoes of the late '80s and early '90s, but instead it's placed on the side. The location and the decision to not place it on the tongue of the shoe pays homage to Daly's original Reebok Pumps, but it is also backed by performance research according to Short. 'That was the best place for it to get the best performance out of it. The tongue (of the shoe) is obviously the normal spot (for the Pump). We really felt like when you looked at the performance of it … they did a ton of tests (on) where to put it for a golf shoe. They felt that (the side) was a great spot. Also, it makes it a little more visual as well when it's on the side. For us, this year, when we brought it back, we wanted to try to keep it tried and true to what it was. We definitely brought in a few with the tongue, just to see, but we felt like we better keep it correct and make sure that it had matched what we had done before.' Advertisement It's not just those who grew up watching Daly on the course who are into the return of The Pumps, though. Short says Reebok is surprised to see excitement from younger golfers too. 'If you're actually on the course and you go to all these country clubs, it's the younger high school, college aged kids that want to wear (The Pumps),' Short said. 'Which is funny to us because this was not how it was originally planned.' Short says the Nano, Question and OG Pump will make up the 'base' of Reebok Golf's offerings, but a shoe for DeChambeau is also in the works in collaboration with him. 'Definitely, those three will stay for a long time,' Short said. A spokesperson for Reebok told The Athletic that all three models of Reebok Golf shoes will be seen on tour, but DeChambeau's team will primarily wear the Nano Golf. Reebok Golf items go on sale online at Reebok's official website and select retailers on March 25. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (All photos: Reebok)