Alright, so today I’m gonna ramble about a pair of sneakers that hit me right in the nostalgia bone: the Dee Brown Reebok Pumps. Man, I remember wanting these bad as a kid. The whole “pump it up and get higher” thing? Pure genius marketing aimed directly at my easily-influenced little brain.
So, I decided to finally snag a pair. Hunting them down was the first challenge. I started scouring eBay, StockX, the usual suspects. Found a few pairs, but either the size was off, the condition was beat to hell, or the price was just… insane. I’m talking mortgage payment territory for a pair of sneakers! No way.
- First, I checked eBay – nada.
- Then StockX – prices were sky-high.
- After that, some smaller sneakerhead groups on Facebook – bingo!
Finally, I stumbled across a post in one of those Facebook sneakerhead groups. A guy was selling a pair in my size, supposedly in decent condition. I jumped on it. Messaged him, asked for pics, the whole shebang. They looked legit, and the price was reasonable (relatively speaking, of course. Still cost me a pretty penny!). We agreed on a price, I sent him the money via PayPal (fingers crossed!), and waited.
The waiting was the worst part. Every day I checked the tracking number like a hawk. Finally, they arrived! The box was a little beat up, but inside… there they were. Dee Brown Reebok Pumps. In my hands. I felt like I was ten years old again.
Now, for the moment of truth: the pump. I started pressing that little orange basketball on the tongue. Squeak, squeak, squeak… I could feel the air filling the shoe. It worked! I slipped them on, laced them up, and gave them a little test hop. Not gonna lie, didn’t magically add 6 inches to my vertical, but they felt good.
But…
They weren’t perfect. The rubber soles were a little yellowed (expected, considering their age), and there were a few minor scuffs. Nothing major, but enough to bother me. So, I decided to do a little restoration.
First, I gave them a good cleaning with some sneaker cleaner and a soft brush. Got rid of most of the dirt and grime. Then, I used some “sole bright” and UV light to try and de-yellow the soles. This took a few applications and a lot of patience, but it made a noticeable difference. For the scuffs, I used some leather paint to touch them up. Not a perfect match, but better than nothing.
Here’s the breakdown of the restoration process:
- Cleaned with sneaker cleaner and brush.
- De-yellowed soles with “sole bright” and UV light.
- Touched up scuffs with leather paint.
Overall, I’m stoked with how they turned out. Are they perfect? Nope. Are they a little ridiculous to wear in public at my age? Maybe. But damn, they bring back memories. And that’s worth it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go practice my no-look dunk… in my driveway… where nobody can see me fail miserably.
The whole experience was a fun trip down memory lane. Finding them, restoring them, and finally rocking them. It’s not just about the shoes, it’s about the story behind them.
