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Reebok celebrates Allen Iverson’s rookie year with new sneaker

Reebok is paying homage to Allen Iverson’s rookie year with the release of an updated model of the shoes he wore for his first games with the Sixers way back in 1996.

Pat Croce, Allen Iverson are all smiles on draft night in 1996.
Pat Croce, Allen Iverson are all smiles on draft night in 1996.Read moreG.W. Miller III/File Photograph

Reebok is paying homage to Allen Iverson’s rookie year with the release of an updated model of the shoes he wore for his first games with the Sixers way back in 1996.

But they’re not in Philly — yet.

Dubbed the “Question Mid Double Cross,” Reebok’s new take on Iverson’s rookie year sneaks blends the red and blue colorways the former Sixer sported across his debut season. The shoes are currently only available at several locations in New York City at a price point of $150, but will have a national release on Oct. 23.

The asymmetrical pair of sneaks feature a red toe for left shoe and a blue toe for the right, plus markings of “96” and “97” inside the shoes to mark the start and end of Iverson’s rookie year. The idea behind the pair, Foot Locker said in a release, is to symbolize Iverson’s “ability to cross up basketball culture with the style and sounds of his life off the court.”

Initially released in 1996, Iverson’s original Question Mid model has since become one of the most iconic basketball sneakers from Reebok, and is considered to be the Sixers legend’s “most popular and recognizable signature shoe,” according to sneaker news blog Sole Collector.

Reebok has released several updated models over the years, peaking in 2016 with a number of re-issues in honor of the 20th anniversary of Iverson’s rookie year, according to Sneaker News. Earlier this year, Reebok also released a re-issue of Iverson’s other popular model, the Answer, with its the Answer V model.

As the Inquirer reported last year, Iverson has had a lifetime deal with Reebok since 2001 that nets him about $800,000 a year, despite having not played a game in the NBA since 2010. His initial contract with the company was a 10-year, $50 million deal.

“He’s an iconic personality,” Reebok CEO Matt O’Toole said last year. “I’ll stand firmly that he has a big place in basketball and sports history.”

Bleacher Report, however, appears to disagree. Last month, the publication released its list of the top 50 NBA players of all time — sans Iverson (though he was an honorable mention). The Answer had his own take, saying that he was “discouraged” by the omission of himself and fellow NBA great Kobe Bryant.

“What’s the criteria?” Iverson wrote on Instagram. “Is it based on stats, cultural influence, a personal preference, or what because it can’t be about basketball…”