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REEBOK PUMP GRAPHLITE VINTAGE – REVIEW
After a strong start, the Reebok Classics team hits us with the second instalment of the Vintage pack, in the form of the REEBOK PUMP GRAPHLITE VINTAGE.
The Reebok Pump Graphlite is a bit of a forgotten hero – although it often gets overshadowed by its flashier younger brothers the Pump Fury and Shaq Attaq, which took its tech and added wilder looks and big-name appeal, it’s a great shoe in its own right.
Born as a cross trainer in 1992, the Graphlite introduced us to that massive midsole cutaway and carbon-fibre footbed, designed to save weight and bulk while increasing stability. Pump custom fit and Hexalite cushioning were also thrown into the mix, packing the shoe with tech and positioning it as Reebok’s top-tier cross trainer in the early 90s, with a pricepoint to match.
As part of the Vintage Pack, this time the Graphlite has been hit with the same treatment as the recent (and excellent) Omni Lite Vintage – but the results here are slightly different. Rather than making the shoe a totally faithful copy of that OG model, some changes have crept in. First up is that Graphlite arch bridge, which uses a printed composite rather than the OG carbon fibre, with the second most obvious change being the upper switching to leather instead of synthetic white suede – although ditching the dirt magnet bits won’t upset those who like to keep shoes clean!
Otherwise there are a few detail changes, with a textured mesh replacing the smooth nylon in the collar, and the bling of the reflex vinyl side stripes on the OG making way for leather. While these changes may disappoint a few hardcore Graphlite lovers (yeah we see you Mr Moore!) for the majority of us they don’t make a huge amount of difference, and most seem to have been made in order to keep the shoes in line with the rest of the Vintage pack, so we’re not too mad.
Colourway-wise everything’s bang on, with those LA Lakers-esque tones of yellowy gold and rich purple looking straight from the archives, popping off the white base of the shoe nicely.
Thankfully the shape is right, with that cross training silhouette remaining intact – slightly chunkier than a regular runner, it’s a great shape that is easy to wear and like all of the Reebok Vintage series, it looks seriously good on foot while also being comfy.
The REEBOK PUMP GRAPHLITE VINTAGE is in stores now, and we’re glad to have them back. You can re-live the early 90s vibe by hitting the link below for stockists.
By @Slangwerks
