Upstart shoe company Athletic Propulsions Labs made headlines yesterday when the NBA banned their Concept 1 basketball shoe from league play. The Concept 1 claims to boost one’s vertical which the NBA deemed an unfair competitive advantage. For years herds of sneaker companies have introduced new models alleging to increase performance. Granted, if we could buy a shoe that’d make us dunk we’d all be smiling like the Enzyte guy but so far none have lived up to the hype or the height. Take a look back at the long history of basketball shoes claiming to enhance performance.
Model: Strength? Training Shoe
Year: 1986
Enhancement: Plyometric Platform
Price: $99
The original and perhaps the most popular, the Strength Training Shoe revolutionized performance enhancing footwear. Designed to increase your vertical up to 5-10 inches, the Strength Shoe gained popularity in the 90s due to sports mag ad placement and a bundle package that included videos and training books. Reviews were mixed with some raving, some blaming for injury, and most just not having the discipline to do the training program.
