The Reebok Pump introduced its fit-adjustment system at the 1989 NBA All-Star Game.
The basketball shoe used an inflatable bladder around the ankle. Pressing the pump on the tongue forced air into that bladder, allowing the wearer to customize the fit. Reebok presented the technology publicly during the 1989 All-Star weekend, where Dominique Wilkins wore the model in the Slam Dunk Contest.
The Pump became one of the most recognizable technology-driven sneaker launches of the early 1990s. Its unusual tongue-mounted mechanism made the shoe instantly identifiable, and the brand later adapted Pump technology for basketball, running, tennis, and lifestyle models.
The Reebok Pump is often confused with later signature shoes that used the same system, including the Omni Zone II and Shaq Attaq. Those were separate models. The name “Pump” refers to the adjustable technology and the shoe family built around it, rather than to one athlete’s surname.