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Uzone.id – Shaquille O’Neal is arguably one of the most phenomenal big players in the NBA. He was successful in winning various trophies, including four times as champion and several personal titles.
In the shoe arena, he tied himself with the British sports company, Reebok. Even though it no longer produces contemporary basketball shoes, Reebok is a brand that is famous for the achievements of its ambassadors.
Reebok and Shaq have entered the ranks of the top basketball shoes. One of the silhouettes that marked that moment was Shaqnosis. These shoes were first released in 1995 when the player was still playing for the Orlando Magic.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal now serves as President of Reebok basketball. But know that Shaq also has his shoe brand, as the name suggests, which he has been running for years. After being buried for a long time, now Shaq will return to enliven the basketball shoe market, at a cheap price, under US$100.
Dunkman was Reebok’s first signature athlete and his Shaq Attaq shoes have made him one of the top brands in the business, rivaling Nike and Air Jordan. Until he earned a contract extension worth US$40 million after a woman changed his outlook on life.
One day a woman scolded him on the street for selling expensive shoes to children. That hit especially hard for Shaq, whose own parents struggled to find affordable shoes in the 18 to 22 size range.
He left Reebok in 1998 to launch a line of affordable shoes at Walmart. The shoes, which are available in children’s and adult sizes, start at US$10. Walmart sold more than 120 million pairs before it expanded to Kohl’s.
Since then, Shaq has been committed to making affordable basketball shoes. Even though he is now back at Reebok in a new capacity, and tasked with bringing it back to its 90s glory, Shaq still has a goal of making affordable shoes for his young fans through the Shaq brand.
Most recently, the shoe launched was called Shaq Raq Low. These shoes are affordable basketball shoes priced at US$40 to US$50 and lifestyle models priced as low as US$35. This has been the price range for Shaq’s affordable footwear line for a long time. Although not part of Reebok, these shoes feature the iconic Dunkman logo. For design and product launch matters, Shaq entrusts Kyle Barbuti.
Barbuti designs shoes that envision the “Great Aristotle” playing today’s basketball. He describes the design as, a “knitted textile with flexible TPU threads, breathable but still reacting to applied force and pressure! Using super high response EVA Phylon, I placed the foot as deep as possible in the shoe to provide aggressive sidewall support.
Design midsole has a strong 90s influence with a modern twist. Traction pattern herringbone which is grooved and outrigger lateral keeps you gripped and balanced.”
Initial reviews of these basketball shoes are positive. Testers were amazed by the quality of the material and its usability for the price. Social media users even believe that these shoes are worth US$100, but Shaquille O’Neal seems happier to keep quality performance basketball shoes affordable at less than US$50.
The Shaq Raq is available primarily at Kohl’s along with other affordable shoes such as the Shaq Speed Demon (US$40), Shaq HOF (US$50), and the loafers worn by O’Neal himself, the Shaqival (US$35). This line of shoes was previously available at Walmart. However, how he got there is a different story.
In 2023, O’Neal and Iverson returned to serve as president and vice president of Reebok basketball. They signed Angel Reese who introduced Reebok’s first performance basketball shoe in a decade, the Reebok Engine A, in his final rookie game with Caitlin Clark.
Shaq involved his son Shareef in the design, which shows how serious he is about this. The Reebok Engine A will hit retail in 2025. But the Shaq Raq performance shoe is now at Kohl’s.
