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The Reebok Pump Fury represents a peak for the Pump line. They were supposed to usher in a new wave of Insta Pump goodies, but post-Fury it was all downhill on the bladdered footwear front. Still, it's a masterpiece. Whether it was variations that implemented that handheld blister-packed pump device or the visible Hexalite on the midsole takes, it blew our minds. Not even the patronage of baked potato-spewing, high-hatted Brian Harvey of East 17 could blunt that appeal. The prohibitive pricetag in 1994 seemed justified by how otherworldly this model was. We'll forget the Sharleen Spiteri of Texas connection too and salute a model that's been reworked by entities as disperate as Jackie Chan and Chanel. The DMX-aided (and we're not talking the freshly-convicted Earl here) take from 2000 was hideous though...why do that to a masterpiece? And why not retro the fantastic Road Fury? There's a fair amount of mystery and history to the shoel.

Common sense would mark the Pump Fury Superlite as an insta-fail. Even in 2010 we've barely caught up with how innovative the original skeletal, Graphlite cutaway-aided shoe was. Does it even need altering? Seeing as the standard edition has been retroed lately, it doesn't look like this version is made to supersede it. The folk at Reebok seem to be having some fun with their older styles—the Omni Run and project with Swizz Beatz on a hi-top that has yet to fire our imaginations being just two—of which the Pump Fury remix is the best yet. It's very lightweight indeed and that padded heel reinforcement and branding is retained.

The heavily perforated upper is a smart move, as is the graphite patterining on the sole—a tethered space age feel is futuristic without being unwearable. It's slimmer and the diamond grid sole unit evokes Nike's Free system with that formidable level of flex. And the reflective underlay towards the toe? Nice touch. Can it touch the original? No way—that's hall-of-fame footwear, but it sure as hell isn't a Rift II or Footscape II style balls-up. Using a spin on an OG palette and a purple, black and blue colourway that's better than that current slew of godawful official and unnofficial 'Tron' cash-ins, they're not too shabby at all. While they're hardly built for cold weather, both go on sale in January...