Reebok called the inflation system in its 1989 Pump sneaker “The Pump.”
The system used a small bladder around the shoe’s upper. Pressing the pump added air, allowing the wearer to adjust the fit around the ankle and upper foot. A release mechanism let the wearer reduce the pressure.
The Reebok Pump became famous in basketball, especially after Dee Brown used the pump before his 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest performance. Brown inflated the shoe and then performed his signature “no-look” dunk, creating one of the most memorable sneaker moments in basketball marketing.
The Pump is sometimes confused with Reebok’s later Instapump technology, which appeared in the Instapump Fury and used a different construction. Hexalite was a cushioning technology, while DMX was an air-transfer cushioning system. Those terms describe other Reebok technologies rather than the original name of the Pump’s manual inflation system.