Nike's 20 Designs That Changed the Game: Air Penny

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Complex Original

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For a baller like Penny Hardaway, whose explosive style of play couldn’t be defined by any existing category, Nike was forced to create a shoe that could mimic his personal expressive demeanor. Enter the Air Penny.

As the signature model of the Uptempo line, the Air Pennys were one of the most versatile basketball shoes ever designed. Putting speed and strength at the forefront, the agile kicks featured a Max Air bag at the rear for greater impact resistance and the then-newly introduced Tensile Air (later renamed Zoom Air) in the front for better footing. Like Penny himself, the shoes successfully pushed the limits of basketball shoes in terms of aesthetic, expression, and performance.

Be sure to check out the first four installments of Nike’s `20 Designs That Changed the Game’ series, and check back with us tomorrow as we continue to track Nike Basketball’s journey.

[Nike]