SLAM is celebrating its 30th anniversary with friends and family collaborations inspired by some of the magazine’s most iconic covers, including a Nike Sabrina 2, two Steph Curry shoes, and for our purposes; a Foamposite One tributing Penny Hardaway.
The 30th anniversary pair fittingly pulls from SLAM’s 30th issue, which came out in 1998 and featured the Orlando Magic guard alongside the title “The Revenge Of Penny Hardaway” (he was making his way back from knee injuries at the time). The design of the shoe in question, however, requires a trip back in time to 1995. It was then that Nike designer Eric Avar, head of the brand’s Advanced Product Engineering group, sketched out a basketball shoe comprised of foot-molding, liquid polyurethane material, an ambitious and groundbreaking concept for its time. Two years later during a meeting between Avar and Penny, the Foamposite One sample caught Hardaway’s eye and was immediately christened as his signature shoe.
The SLAM x Foamposite One takes inspiration from Avar’s original sketch, aptly taken in Orlando-esque blue and white. Penny’s iconic “1 Cent” logo appears opposite SLAM branding on the tongue and backtabs, complete with custom insoles and special packaging.
To reiterate; Penny’s SLAM x Foamposite One is for friends and family only and is not expected to see a public release. In any case, enjoy detailed images below.
