Image via Glogster
This past Friday And1 invited members of the press to become reacquainted with a company that not only pumped out some true classics but made marketing history with their And1 Mixtapes (a series of videos that showcased some of the best street ballers in the country). Why the re-intro you ask? Well, over the years while other companies have cashed in on the retro boom, And1 found itself as a discount brand available in Walmart and their back catalog all but forgotten. Classics like Stephon Marbury’s sig shoe
The Spree
the KG
and of course who could forget the timeless And1 T shirts (that were found on every street court from New York to LA) had become sort of a like a myth to young shoe heads and faded from the memory of those that lived through it (Keep in mind, this is but a sample of the all around dopeness that And1 was and hopes to be again).
Walmart was a turn off for the newer generation of “sneaker heads” that salivate towards more limited edition and expensive sneakers and the lack of re-issues from their back catalog have left the company more as a discussion piece for older heads on sneaker forums than a brand that people were yearning to get into their closet. Enter, the re-intro. And1 will try to re-connect both with a community that grew up with them as well as a new generation that while fickle, has embraced non Nike brands such as UA, Gourmet Footwear and Ewing Athletics to name a few. Brand Ambassador’s Lance Stephenson and Rafer Alston (aka Skip To My Lou) were in attendance a long with Mitch McGary, Isaiah Canaan and the new staff to unveil their latest line of footwear which includes the Tai Chi and the Xcelerate (which btw, isn’t Lances sig shoe). Toss in a promise to take time with the brand and do things the right way and well, there is lots of promise for a triumphant return. Check out some fliks from the event below, then head on over to the And1 DeFY New York photo vault to learn more about the brand.
