Kicks: Iverson & The Question Crossover Michael

In the second of the "Kicks" series we have the Reebok Question. Allen Iverson had a number of solid kicks made by Reebok, but the Reebok Question are easily the most memorable. They came out in 1996, Iverson's rookie year, and helped get Reebok back into the sports apparel game. By this point, the Reebok Pump had ran its course and Reebok needed to grab some market share back. Market share that Reebok had lost in its head-to-head match up with Nike during the late 80's and early 90's. Reebook certainly found what they were looking for with Iverson. Not only did they make a great looking and functional sneaker, but Iverson gave Reebok instant street cred.

As if the street cred Iverson provided wasn't enough, the Reebok Question is a very cool looking pair of kicks. The outer bottom sole was a translucent light blue rubber that was reminiscent of the Nike Air Jordan XI's. They also featured a very cool visible honeycomb pocket that was similar to Nike's visible air pockets. Although Reebok designers seemed to barrow design elements from Nike, the sneaker was different enough to distinguish itself as one of the best sneaker designs of the 90's and that's saying a lot.

No matter how cool a sneaker looks, and the Reebok Questions did look great, they still need to perform on the court. I had a pair of these when I played in high school. Although they look bulky and cumbersome, they're actually surprisingly light. This is partly due to the visible Hexalite honeycomb cushioning system Reebok utilized in this sneaker. They certainly aren't as light as a sneaker featuring the Nike Zoom Air technology, but they allow for solid responsive cushioning and stability. If you don't believe me, just ask Iverson himself. Better yet, ask Michael Jordan. He got a good look as Iverson and the Reebok Questions crossed him up back in Iverson's rookie season.

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