What Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan and Larry Johnson did not wear was black socks. The exception to the norm proved the Fab Five’s spiritual successors - the early ‘90s UNLV Runnin’ Rebels - who wore black leather Nikes in 1991 while defending their national title.īlack shoes in basketball had been around for decades and been rocked right before the Fab Five arrived in Ann Arbor. This was true on the college court even while most schools in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s kept it clean by rocking white tennis. For decades, black sneakers were a staple in basketball, first for their aesthetic durability and later to symbolize postseason unity. The Fab Five did not invent black sneakers.ĭating back to the days of Bob Cousy, black sneakers of the canvas and leather variety have carried everyone from Bill Russell to Michael Jordan when making hardwood history. Peep the five footwear favorites of the Fab Five era that define their run. While the baggy shorts sported by Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King changed the course of history, the sneakers worn closely beneath them beckoned a new era just the same. By the early ‘90s, the Fab Five scratched the entire record when it came to cultural influence.
#CHRIS WEBBER SHOES 1995 PRO#
In the past, pro athletes were meant to move the needle for footwear in apparel. From Day 1, the Fab Five pushed back on their Nike rep by rocking signature shoes that capitalized on contrast. Previously, coaches collected checks by putting their players in matchy models. Suddenly, the Fab Five exploded in the Big Ten.
In a moment’s notice, nothing was the same.įor years, execs exalted the Big East. In that year, Nike fired the godfather of prep product placement, Sonny Vaccaro, and five freshmen found their way to Ann Arbor. The relationship between corporate brands and collegiate ballers became turned upside down in an instant.
#CHRIS WEBBER SHOES 1995 TV#
The battle around outfitting college basketball’s best exploded in the ‘80s but forever changed course in the ‘90s.Įarly on, the likes of Converse, Nike and adidas padded the pockets of Dean Smith, John Thompson and Bobby Knight as a way to get their logos on college courts that not only had regional reach but soon massive audiences due to booming national TV contracts.
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