Reebok is releasing a Court Victory Pump retro on March 15.
Relive one of the most recognizable tennis sneakers in history—one introduced at the 1990 French Open—with a Reebok retro of the tennis-specific Court Victory Pump.
As the brand once known for a slate of tennis shoes—including the Michael Chang worn Court Victory Pump—looks to dip back into nostalgia and tie to a current wave of tennis interest, it scheduled the first release of the retro Court Victory Pump since 2017.
And this won’t be a one-time release. The white, green and yellow version hits the market for $160 on March 15, but Reebok expects to rollout additional colorways throughout the year.
Original 1990s colors will adorn the mixture of Reebok Court Victory Pump releases in 2024.
“Reebok’s archival product continues to spark engagement and excitement for the brand,” Reebok tells me in a statement. “As the influence of tennis grows in pop culture and style, Court Victory Pump will captivate the retro consumer with its unique history and compelling design.”
First introduced in late 1989, the pump technology from Reebok allowed the wearer to pump air into the shoe’s sole via a mechanism housed in the tongue. The wearer could also release air via the tongue’s apparatuses. While made famous in basketball—Dominique Wilkins won the NBA dunk contest wearing the shoes in 1990 and Dee Brown famously stooped down to pump his shoes before his winning dunk during the 1991 iteration of the event—Chang gave the Reebok Pump its own tennis moment during the 1990 French Open. To ensure the shoe came emblazoned in tennis design, the pump mechanism came in the form of a yellow tennis ball.
The brand claims the pumped-air system from the ‘90s offers stability and fills the hexagonal-shaped lug pattern—all part of the Hexalite technology—for cushioning.
The yellow tennis ball pump mechanism on the tongue of the Reebok Court Victory Pump first hit the ... [+]
The 2024 release will include original 1990 colors throughout the year and still features the pump bladder with the tennis ball tongue. The midcut height style highlights the wavy checkerboard graphic on the heel and lining, Reebok Tennis embroidered on the tongue, Hexalite honeycomb-shaped cushioning and TPU accent detailing.
Reebok says that the Court Victory Pump’s commercial release in 1990 helped solidify the Pump technology beyond basketball and that the model is still “one of the most important in Reebok’s storied archives.”
Reebok, known for a mixture of training, running, basketball and tennis styles from decades gone past, was owned by Adidas from 2006 until the German company sold Reebok to Authentic Brands Group in March 2022. ABG also owns tennis brand Prince and legacy tennis sneaker maker Tretorn, which was established in 1891 in Sweden.
The move to re-release a retro of the Court Victory Pump marks an effort by the brand to reconnect with tennis consumers. Plus, there’s something unique about filling your own shoes, especially when doing so by pumping a yellow tennis ball on the tongue of one of the most noticeable shoes in the sport’s history.
