Brendan Dunne 
In just a couple of days from now, on January 17th, the Reebok Kamikaze 1 will return. In 2013 the second installment of Reebok Kamikaze signature silhouettes was re-introduced to the world to warm reception, as the model helped prove that fans of the Vector Brand were eager for more than just Iverson retros in the basketball category. For 2014 though they’re turning the clock back to the Reebok Kamikaze 1, the first of signature silhouettes for Shawn Kemp; as one-half of the exciting hooping duo in Seattle, Kemp’s emerging stardom made him one of the most marketable guys in the league, earning the “Reignman” nickname for his penchant for throwing down devastatingly thunderous dunks. The return of this 90’s icon will be marked by the original black/white/green colorway, a relic from the bygone Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
While Kemp did go on to become a bit of a traveling man in the later years of his career, his reign with the Sonics up in the Pacific Northwest constituted the lion’s share of his time in the league. His arrival in Seattle marked a new era of dominance for the Sonics, one that came pretty close to returning them to the championship glory of 1979. It was with that team that he, and by association the Reebok Kamikaze line, rose to prominence. The sneakers first hit the floor on the feet of Kemp during the 1994-95 season, and would go on to become Kemp’s standard for that year; he wore them during the regular season, he brought a low version with for an All-Star appearance, and they showed up in the Playoffs. Gathered here is an archive of on-feet appearances for these Shawn Kemp shoes (bonus: we even included the Mortal Kombat inspired Reebok Kamikaze TV spot from the mid-90s) ; take a look and tell us in the comments if you’ve got any particularly fond memories of the Reebok Kamikaze.
The Reebok Kamikaze 1 OG will be available this Friday, January 17th at select retailers.
