I’m an 80’s baby- literally- I was born in 82′. Some of you readers were teenagers or lil’ kids in the early 80’s. Some of you weren’t even developed in your Pop’s balls yet.
But I thought I would introduce my blog with some paid homage to the year of 1982.
In the 80’s Hip-Hop was climbing the ladder of recognition and many New Yorkers were enjoying the rhyming skills of a few rappers like Busy Bee, The Furious Five, and The Cold Crush Brothers to name a few. And the producer of the hour was none other than Fab 5 Freddy.
In 1982, Reebok came out with the Freestyle Reeboks a.k.a 54-11’s. They came in every flavor- All colors of the rainbow.
Well this year is the 25th anniversary of the Freestyle Reebok and they have some serious flavors to celebrate turning 25!!
We all know how the Freestyle Reebok got its name… I’ll give a crash course in the term 54-11’s…
The Freestyle Reebok were always priced at $49.99 and with tax they would cost $54.11 hence the name 54-11’s
Unfortunately, with age there comes bills and the Freestyle Reebok does not cost $54.11 anymore. It’s more like $69.99 -$199.99.
But I guess for good reason. They have some really funky styles, which I think is a wise marketing approach to a retired shoe.
My personal fav is the “Original Basquiat” they are one of the priciest, but it screams original, unique, and trendsetter. Not to mention that Jean- Michel Basquiat is one of my favorite contemporary artists. I have magnets of his artwork on my fridge. Jean-Michel Basquiat was half Haitian & half Puerto Rican. He was introduced to the arts by his mother who enrolled him in the the Children’s Arts program at the Brooklyn Museum. He was very good friends with Fab 5 Freddy and had a brief relationship with Madonna. He was also good friends with Andy Warhol- another great contemporary artist.
There will be more of the Freestyle Reebok’s 25th Anniversary sneaker released throughout the months and I can only imagine what they have to offer us.
If you had a pair of 54’s in your closet, I’d say grab a pair of anniversary edition Freestyles and pay homage to one of the staples in your adolescent wardrobe!!
