The Blast
Sneakers started to be part of a fashion trend during the 80’s. Many believe that Michael Jordan was the one who made sneakers popular because of the Jordan shoes. There is no doubt that the Jordan shoes are very popular until today. But did you know that Reebok’s The Blast also competed in terms of style and uniqueness back in the 90’s?
Aside from Nike and Adidas, Reebok became one of the famous sports brand in the world. In fact, Reebok was the official uniform of the US Basketball Dream Team in 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Reebok released various signature shoes and it was led by a series of AI shoes endorsed by Allen “The Answer” Iverson.
The Blast shoes were famously worn by NBA All-Star Nick Van Exel during his rookie season in Los Angeles Lakers. Only a few people are aware that Iverson had worn The Blast during the 1996 Summer League as well.
The Admiration
I began to like The Blast shoes when it was worn by my childhood idol in Basketball, Vergel Meneses. I tried to look for the said shoes when it first came out however, I could not find any in the mall because it was already sold out. Online sellers were not yet prevalent in the Philippines at that time.
I was unfortunately not given a chance to own and wear The Blast during my varsity days in high school and even when I started working.
But I vowed that one day, I will get one for myself.
A check on the bucket list
In 2017 and after so many years of searching, someone finally replied to my post in Facebook Marketplace.
We agreed to do a meet-up in Quezon City near ABS-CBN.
He showed me the shoes and I got really excited!
I did not hesitate to buy the shoes even if it was pricey. I got curious and asked him why he decided to sell his shoes. He said he didn’t really want to sell them as it was part of his collection however, he was getting married. He needed some cash for the expenses of wedding preparations.
After our short chat, he handed over the shoes and even gave me 2 Reebok t-shirts as freebies since, he said, the size were too big to fit him.
I opened the shoebox again in the restaurant while having lunch. I couldn’t describe the feeling back then but I knew in my heart that I was able to check an item on my bucket list.
Setting a new dream
I only wore the shoes three times, one of which was during a basketball game. This is why I am able to maintain it in good condition. It’s funny how a childhood dream became a reality now that I am no longer active in playing my beloved game.
Now, my dream is to have it signed by Vergel Meneses.
After this quarantine period, I plan go to Bulacan to visit and I hope that I can meet Vergel again personally (I first met him when he and Bonel Balingit visited our school during my high school days) and get the shoes signed by him.
New Releases
There are various versions with color combinations such as White/Black-Blue/Red and Black/White-Orange that are now out in the market.
My plan is to get the Black/White-Blue/Red for my daughter. I think it will be nice – like father, like daughter!
