words // Brandon Richard
Sneaker partnerships are generally hit-or-miss, but when they're successful, an athlete's involvement in campaigns can define a shoe forever.
However, when a star is past his or her prime, even the strongest partnerships tend to fizzle out. But why? Sure, the ability to sell sneakers with in-game excellence may no longer be there, but the stories still resonate. The Air Jordan line is the biggest example of this, but we've also seen signature longevity from Penny Hardaway, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson to name a few.
Last May, Nike brought home an icon when they announced the return of Andre Agassi, eight years after they parted and he signed a multi-year deal with adidas. Since Agassi's return, there's been fresh energy behind the classic Air Tech Challenge 2, along with a re-release of the Tech Challenge Hybrid and an upcoming retro of the Air Flare. Do these shoes fare well without Agassi's involvement? Possibly, but it doesn't feel nearly as authentic.
With successful endorsement reboots like Agassi and Nike, Dikembe Mutombo and adidas and Shaquille O'Neal and Reebok, we thought of 10 other sneaker partnerships we would like to see return. Scroll through the selections and let us know if there's one you'd like to see that didn't make our list.
Leon Sandcastle was a fun campaign, but with all due respect to Under Armour, Prime Time should be Swooshed up. Not only should Deion Sanders have input on Diamond Turf re-releases, but Sportswear could design him an all-new signature shoe like they have for Penny Hardaway and Bo Jackson.
Gilbert Arenas was ahead of just about every sneaker trend we're seeing in the NBA today. Low-tops, endless amounts of inspired colorways, wearing a new pair in just about every game — all Gilbert. We know he and adidas didn't exactly end their partnership on the best terms, but enough time has passed to let bygones be gyones...right? Right?
FILA seemingly drops a new Grant Hill colorway every week, sadly without his involvement in any campaigns. On top of that, generic rebranding takes away from the shoes' aura. Which would you rather own — the FILA Grant Hill or the FILA '95? We're sure they have their reasons for no longer being officially linked, but the appeal of a retro is the story behind it. It's time to show this generation exactly how good Grant really was.
Truthfully, we'd just like to see the Fab Five reunite, period. And if it ever happens, Chris, Jalen, Juwan, Jimmy and Ray absolutely have to meet with Nike to collaborate on Fab Fab sneaker packs with all-black Elite socks. An Air Max Sensation 'Career Pack' for C-Webb would be clutch, too.
Noticeably absent from last year's Aero Jam retros was an appearance from Grandmama. Now 45 years old, Larry Johnson may not be as enthusiastic to dress up as a deceivingly athletic elderly woman. Plus he's made some controversial comments to the media recently, so this one may not be on Converse. Still, it would be nice to have LJ pitching his old shoes again — especially now that the Hornets are back.
Magic Johnson & Larry Bird x Converse
Converse would mainly be bringing these two back for a Weapon campaign, but that's all the reason you need. Before there was MJ, Magic and Bird ruled the NBA. It's electric when these two are in the same room together and Converse could greatly benefit from that...again.
Sheryl Swoopes has been a trailblazer her entire life, including being the first female basketball player to get her own signature model in 1996. The Swoopes series is vastly underrated, and had it belonged to a male, it'd probably be as revered as other iconic Nike Basketball lines. Air Swoopes, Tuned Swoopes and Swoopes Zoom? All potential winners if they ever bring them back.
Dennis Rodman x Nike / Converse
Dennis Rodman is as bad as he wants to be, but his unique lineup of signature sneakers are as good as it gets. The man has personality for days and we're owed proper retros of shoes like the Air Shake NDESTRUKT and Rodman All Star. The great news is that Converse is under the Nike umbrella, so taking another chance on The Worm could re-deliver us classics from both brands.
With Kevin Garnett being one of the most well traveled sneaker endorsers, quite a few brands could use his services again. Because of the quality of the signature shoes, we'd like to see him bring his fiery passion back to Nike. Perhaps the Fun Police could even ride again.
With the Air Command Force retro on the way, there's no better time to pack up and visit Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood again. And that's just one of several ultra high-top silhouettes The Admiral can carry on his broad shoulders again.
