Product Review: Reebok Pump Watch

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During the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk contest, Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown stole the show with a variety of dunks, most notably his no-look slam dunk to seal his victory. But even more notable than his dunks were the shoes he was wearing: Reebok Pumps.

At the most critical moments during the contest, prior to almost every dunk, Brown bent over and pumped up his shoes via the “Pump” feature on the tongue of his Reebok’s.

Check out Dee Brown pumping his shoes at 12:28:

For Reebok, it was a moment akin to Nike’s good fortune of Bo Jackson hitting a homerun during the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the launch of the first TV ad for the “Bo Knows” campaign for his new cross-training shoes in the ensuing commercial.

Nobody had ever seen the Pump, but almost immediately, everybody had to have them.

Last weekend’s Sprite Slam Dunk Contest marked the 25th anniversary of Brown’s win and the launch of the iconic shoe. And as a part of Reebok’s new line of 2015 watches, Reebok is paying homage to its history with the Pump watch.

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I vividly remember getting my first pair of Reebok Pumps when I was 12 years old. They cost $100 at the time, which was considered a premium for shoes. But the Reebok brand was so iconic, it was well worth the $100 my parents spent to own the coolness of the shoes.

The Reebok Pump watch feels much the same way. Even though it was functional and felt good on my wrist, about three-quarters of the time I looked at my wrist, it was just to admire the watch.

It features year, month, date, hour, minute and second display. It has a retro look that captures the history and essence of the Reebok brand. The watch is predominantly black, with accents of orange and grey. It was comfortable and lightweight, but felt solid, and includes a rubber or silicone strap (certain styles feature stainless steel bracelets) and the face is backlit.

The coolest thing, though, is the mini-pump on the watch, which you press to change the font size on the watch face. Before big meetings at work, you can pump yourself up a la Dee Brown in 1991.

Reebok has also released another Pump watch with additional colors that mirrors the design of the original Michael Chang pump tennis shoe.

The Pump watch retails for $129.95 and is sold in select Macy’s stores nationwide and at Macys.com.