Adidas wasted no time to release a signature shoe for their new young star after seeing the success that Nike enjoyed with MJ and his signature shoe. The Adidas Attitude was Ewing’s signature shoe for the 1986 season that came in a wide variety of colors, but none quite as timeless as the these to match his Knicks uniform. The Attitude was a popular shoe not just on court, but was quickly adopted by the hip hop scene.

Back in the mid-80s like most of Adidas’s top basketball shoes, these were manufactured in France. The shoe has returned this decade in this color way as well as many others minus the Ewing logo on the tongue as Patrick left Adidas after only a few years to start his own line of shoes that we have featured on prior Throwback Thursday’s.

It is hard to show by photos just how well these shoes were made. The leather is incredibly thick and sturdy. Just like car buffs will tell you, “they sure don’t make them like they used to.”

This pair is the Ewing Rogue II that many would argue was a take off on the Air Raid or Air Jordan 8 with the cross straps and even a Jordan 4 style lace tab near the ankle. For those who know their Ewings, the Rogue I came in several color ways, but the black/red/purple was very similar to that of the Jordan 7.

Despite the troubled sales that eventually led to the falling out of this brand, there still is some beauty to these shoes including the speckled wavy midsoles and large contrasting logos on the tongue and heel. As with everything beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

A few weeks ago we posted one a Charles Barkley PE Air Force 180, but though many consider that shoe a high top sneaker, Nike took that model one step higher. In the early 90’s Nike responded to Reebok’s Pump with their own series of basketball sneakers that featured Air Pump technology that gave the wearer a better fit about the ankle. David Robinson was the signature athlete to represent the high top Nike Pump series that included the Nike Air Pressure, Nike Air Command Force, and the last (and this week’s Throwback) Nike Air Force 180 Pump.

Like Chuck’s version, the shoe has cosmetic touches such as speckled and fading midsole, but the sheer high top of the shoe and its hefty pricetag of $175 made the shoe a tough sale in the not so strong economy in 1992. So far, Nike has not brought back any of the Air Pump shoes as retros, but our fingers are crossed that at least one of the three models will return. We have taken several photos for your viewing pleasure and have also posted one of the commercials that Nike broadcast to promote the shoe featuring the Admiral.

These kicks were team issued in 1985 to the players of the Kentucky Wildcats with the school’s logo on the tongue as opposed to the tag that all of the other Dunks had.The year that the Wildcats laced up in the Dunks was a rather successful one. Led by coach Eddie Sutton, UK won the SEC regular season and tourney championship and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. Sadly the road ended in the Elite-8 when they were upset by fellow SEC member LSU.

Kentucky takes on Marquette today. Hopefully this post will bring them the same luck that UNLV got from last week’s Throwback Thursday (they won the Mountain West Tourney).

Big Chuck and the Sixers fell short of making the NBA Playoffs in the 1991-92 season, but he sported these shoes in Barcelona where he led the Dream Team to Gold leading the star studded team in scoring. Plenty of photos after the jump of these shoes.

Next Thursday is another throwback you won’t want to miss.