By Andrew Liszewski
I grew up during what I consider to be the height of sneaker popularity, and no shoe was more lusted after by my grade school chums than the Reebok Pump. The original version used an air bladder wrapped around the inside of the shoe to provide a snug fit when pumped up, but Reebok’s new version features an inflatable bladder across the entire sole, allowing a runner or jogger to instead adjust the amount of cushioning in their shoe.
Another big difference is that the pumping mechanism has been integrated into the heel, rather than hanging off the tongue. So the air bladders get filled once you start running, and the level of cushioning/stiffness is dependent on the force of your heel strike, and whether you’ve put the shoe into its ‘run’ or ‘train’ mode using a set of buttons on the side of the sole.
The Reebok SmoothFit SelectRide shoes will be available this week, but are only being sold at Champs Sports stores for $149.99.
[ Popular Science – Ladies and gentlemen, the Reebok Pump is Back on the Scene! Well, Sort Of ]
