Ahhhh, the mid/late-80s, a time where rapping became the go-to way to embarrass people with absolutely no business going anywhere near it (see also, “Super Bowl Shuffle”). Fortunately, this flashback commercial has the greatest of endings (part of it owed to this train wreck lasting only 30 seconds, 30 looooooong seconds).
To Larry and Magic, congratulations on your finally being inducted to the College Basketball Hall of Fame, linked as no two other sports superstars will always be (Montana and Rice excepted). How the hell these two weren’t in already astounds me, but better late than outside looking in forever.
I think Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have them beat.
Eh, I give ‘em 5-6 more years before Andre kicks her to the curb.
When I became a starter on my grade school’s team my folks popped for a pair of maroon, Chuck Taylor high tops. All the starters wore ‘em. They probably only cost about $8, but I still could not believe my folks bought them for me. I loved those shoes!
Orange and turquoise Chuck were my go-to shoes in high school, not so much for the court, though, not when the shoes Larry held in this commercial on the market.
Beige Chuck Taylor classics for college intramural hoops and still can’t believe I never rolled my ankles.
I ran track before there were “running shoes,” we wore the same shoes we wore for all sports; what we called “tennis shoes.” They weren’t particularly light. We ran outdoors on cinder tracks or indoors on an articifial surface that was akin to carpet. Before my first big race my dad took me to a sporting goods store to buy a pair of “spikes.” These were track shoes with removable spikes so you could put in quarter-inch spikes for cinder tracks and little, pointed metal nubs for the carpet. They came with a key, or wrench, to change the spikes out.
The first time I wore those I thought I could fly! I literally felt like Hermes, with tiny wings on my feet. They were so light compared to any other shoe I had ever worn I felt like I had to struggle against gravity just to stay on the ground! They were white Pumas with white stripes. I loved those shoes!
When I was in College I met a guy who used to race bikes. He had to quit because of an injury to his kidneys. He had a house full of parts and offered to sell me a bike for $100 since he no longer had use for all the equipment. At the time my summer job was about 10 miles from home so I figured it was worth investing in a better, lighter bike to get to and from work.
He made me a frankenstein bike out of a frame and parts he had. It was a true, road bike, built for racing. The tires were sewn around the tubes and glued onto the rims!
After about a year I decided to splurge and buy a pair of cleats. They are a special cycling shoe that lock onto the pedals (this was before all the special bindings they make now). The cleats were made in Italy, leather on top and hard, molded plastic on the bottom. They do not bend at all. The first time I pedaled with them on I felt like someone had put rockets on my feet! Since they are locked into the pedals and cannot bend the pedal comes up when you pull up on the upstroke. Typically, on a bike, you push down with one foot and the other foot is just along for the ride on the opposite pedal until it gets to the top of the stroke. But with a non-movable shoe tied to your foot and locked into the pedal you can pull up on the opposite side. Now, instead of just using your hamstrings and only one leg I could use the quadriceps on the opposite leg at the same time! It’s like adding 30%+ more power to your stroke. When you get really good you start using your calf muscles to rotate your ankles at the top and bottom for even more power.
I can still remember that first pedal with those cleats on my feet! I had never gone so fast from a start. The acceleration was incredible! I loved those shoes!