A glimmer of hope throughout 2020 has been Reebok’s onslaught Question retros. Since AI’s 2016 NBA Hall-Of-Fame induction, Reebok has paid homage to its star’s legacy through releases that explore every facet of Iverson. From fishing rods to crossovers – we’ve successfully familiarized ourselves with Allen’s life through exceptional sneaker storytelling. On 8/21 we’ll get receive another chapter to Allen’s story through the Reebok Question Mid OG Red Toe ‘Insight.’
In anticipation of the Question Mid OG Red Toe’s release, Reebok did something nice for your living room and created the Beyond Question coffee-table book. Beyond Question can be read in its entirety on ISSUU.com. In addition to the digital copy, 75 limited-edition print copies will be raffled off with proceeds benefiting BOKS.
BOKS is a physical activity program designed to help kids and underserved youth from around the country get active and establish a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. A portion of the print copies will be signed by Allen Iverson himself, so enter the raffle now through 8/21… here!
It’s great to see Reebok release something different in terms of auxiliary content around the Question Mid OG Red Toe ‘Insight’ but the highlight of this campaign is still the sneakers. The ‘Insight’ Question Mid’s might look like past drops at a glance, but a lot is going on here. Lets dive into the story behind these red suede shoes.
Insight
So, why did Reebok use the nickname ‘Insight’ on these Question Mid OGs? The name calls back to the scouting Reebok Basketball did on Allen Iverson before signing. Todd Krinsky and Que Gaskins of Reebok Basketball were two of the many people captivated by AI while he played for Georgetown University. They saw something special in Allen that lead to the now-famous “what if?” conversation at Reebok; a conversation that imagined life with AI. Krinsky, Gaskins, and Reebok designer Scott Hewett went on to use their insight to create a prototype for Allen that would go on become the Question Mid – a fitting name for a player who had come to be known as “The Answer.” Beyond Question tells Allen’s origin story and early relationship with Reebok perfectly… so go read it.
“We’ve Got a Bleeder”
I hope you got that “There’s Something About Mary” (1998) reference.
The original Reebok Question Mid dropped with a suede red toe back in 1996 – not the pearlized leather commonly associated with the silhouette. The dyed suede bled when worn, making it appear as though wearers’ feet were bleeding. Once the first 5,000 units sold Reebok substituted the red suede for red leather and the rest is history. Here’s a fun fact, the Question’s iconic toe box looks the way it does because Reebok had to comply with the NBA’s [barbaric] uniform standards. Initially, designer Scott Hewett wanted to use a black/red pattern on the toe.
Release Details
The Reebok Question Mid OG Red Toe ‘Insight’ releases exclusively at Reebok.com and the Footlocker Family of retailers (Champs, Eastbay, Footlocker, Kids Footlocker, etc) for $140. Family sizing will be available when released on August 21, 2020. Tune in to the Sneaker History Podcast to get our thoughts on this release! Check out some additional photos below, cheers!
Aaron Nojima
Robbie Falchi