Allen Iverson Made Nike Stop a Shoe Release

Reebok’s longtime sneaker pitchman Allen Iverson got his lawyer to halt a sneaker release from Nike.

The Swoosh planned to sell a shoe out of its Zoom Flight ’96 collection, but The Answer argued that it was designed to look like a tribute to him.

Nike backed down.

Per the AP:

The ambiguously titled sneaker has the No. 3 – Iverson’s number – on each back heel and the red, white and blue colors of the Philadelphia 76ers. Neither Iverson nor the Sixers are named on the sneaker or on the branding for the shoe, which were expected to be released later this year or in early 2015.

 

Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins said in a statement Thursday that the version of the shoe Iverson protested won’t hit stores. […] “’Nike has made a business decision to not move forward with the shoe in the red/blue and white/purple colorways,” Wilkins said in an email. ”However, two colorways inspired by the original 1996 colorways will still be available for purchase.”

 

A letter faxed this week by Iverson’s attorney, Derek Challenger, to Nike demands the company remove the sneaker from any retail inventories or website advertisements and cease any future sales of the product. […] “Nike is clearly trying to use Allen Iverson’s celebrity status and persona to promote Nike’s shoes,” Challenger said. ”There’s no other No. 3 that played for the 76ers that came out of the 1996 draft. For Nike to use his status to sell shoes, and not get his permission, to not compensate him, is bad business.”