In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Reebok’s Pump Fury series, the brand has partnered with Singapore’s leading local brands Limited Edt and Hypethetic to redefine this icon.
Renowned sneaker retailer Limited Edt and clothing label Hypethetic were the only local labels selected for this collaboration due to their design forte in the cult fashion market in Singapore. The Limited Edt X Hypethetic X Reebok Instapump Fury 20th Anniversary sneakers is the tenth of 27 unique designs that Reebok will be releasing from partnerships with acclaimed designers from all over the world this year.
For this collaboration, Limited Edt appointed Joe Cher, a.k.a Twistedjoe, founder of the renowned clothing label sneaker customising collective Hypethetic, to give his artistic take on the Pump Fury classic.
Twistedjoe’s Instapump Fury rendition boasts Hypethetic’s signature colours and features style elements that are likened to the design of Limited Edt’s “Vault’ and “Chamber” boutique stores, which local sneakerheads or shoe enthusiasts dub as the “Temples for sneakers” in Singapore.
The ocean’s lethal Devil Ray served as the Joe’s inspiration for the pump’s mottled black and grey upper. With silver Reebok, Limited Edt and Hypethetic logos, two metallic silver stars representing the Fury’s 20-year legacy, a metallic chrome accent on the heel, and a blue inner lining, these rare pumps celebrate the well-loved Reebok Insta Pump Fury composure with an added sophisticated charm and a touch of “gangsta”.
Each pair will come with an individually numbered holographic box designed by art house WHALERABBIT. The exclusive shoe box is specially fabricated from polished translucent black acrylic, accented with a hexagonal holographic glow, and a magnetic lock with nickel-plated logos to boot. A special-edition not-for-sale t-shirt will also be given out with each purchase.
The Limited Edt X Hypethetic X Reebok Instapump Fury 20th Anniversary comes in US sizes 4 to 12 and will be sold exclusively at all Limited Edt stores island-wide from 15th March 2014 at S$249.00 nett.
Reebok’s Instapump Fury has and will continue to serve as a coveted canvas for future collaborations, and sneakerheads can look forward to seeing inimitable colourways and treatments from some of the world’s most distinguished artists and designers. The release of the next 20th anniversary design will be announced in April.
The Reebok Instapump Fury OG (1994)
Following their mega success with the Freestyle and the aerobics boom, Reebok faced the challenge of reinventing the brand as the 90s loomed. The inspiration came surprisingly not from within, but from Europe. When Reebok’s Paul Fireman invested in Ellesse, a ski boot with oversized brass fittings and a clunky air pump mechanism provided Reebok’s designers with the stimulus for an entirely new category of sneaker.
Paul Litchfield was the man challenged by Fireman to make the Pump concept work in a sneaker. The idea was easy to grasp and the no-two-feet-are-alike reasoning was logical. Pump would use inflatable chambers for a custom fit. Beyond performance, the notion of customisation, even at this basic inflate/deflate level, is hugely appealing to consumers on an aesthetic, and an interactive level. To encapsulate and brand this technology without it becoming too extraterrestrial was Litchfield’s challenge, not to mention bringing it in on a reasonable budget within an insanely short timeframe. It was far from easy. Stressful too. Teaming up with the Massachusetts-based Design Continuum in 1988 added additional expertise to the team. The biggest issue was keeping the air stable in the flexible film pouches. The solution finally came from a firm that made intravenous blood bags for use in the medical industry.
On November 24th 1989, The Pump finally hit the shelves. The basketball valve branding was instantly appealing and the $170 tag was sufficiently vast to confer aspirational status. It’s still a crazy price twenty years later, but remember, this was the 80s and bigger was infinitely better. Along with the Energy Return System (ERS) and Hexalite, the honeycomb padding apparently used in space shuttle seating, Reebok had a lock on futuristic tech that few in the industry could match. As the 90s dawned, Reebok excitedly welcomed consumers to a new decade with a fleet of Pumps built specifically for cross training, walking, running, tennis and even golf. But the original version known simply as The Pump – now more commonly known as the Bringback – was where it all started. For that reason alone, it deserves its place in the sneaker hall of fame.
About Reebok
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of sports, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied heritage in running, training and fitness. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, Reebok operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. For more information, visit Reebok at http://www.reebok.com
M for Musxzart 
August 23, 2014 at 2:36 PM
Great post.