The History of the Nike Basketball 'Uptempo' Line

Traditionally at Nike Basketball, there have been three distinct lines of design, each specialized for a certain type of player: Flight, Force, and Uptempo. For the quick and lighter guards: Flight. For the powerful and heavy centers and forwards: Force. And for all those players in between, Uptempo.

History of Nike Basketball

For a little background on all three lines, it’s worth noting that the Uptempo line—created for players that didn’t quite fit into the mold of a guard or power player—didn’t exist from the beginning of Nike Basketball’s distinction of sneaker styles. Of course, "Force" had been in Nike’s basketball lexicon since the famous Air Force 1 released in 1982, but it wasn’t until the late 1980's that the brand broke down most of their basketball models into two main categories: Force and Flight. Looking back at the game of the time, it made sense to only have these two categories, because most players fit into these two styles of play. A nimble guard like Michael Jordan wore Flight sneakers (the Air Jordan IV from 1989 was among the first models to be branded with the Flight moniker), while bigger guys banging in the post like Charles Barkley and David Robinson wore Force models.

But by the mid-1990's, the game of basketball began to change, and a new and more dynamic style of player had emerged. Whether it was a new face like the versatile point-forward Penny Hardaway, or the emerging all-around talent of Scottie Pippen who slowly but surely transformed from Air Jordan's sidekick to a legit superstar in his own right, there was now also a need for more versatile footwear; Models that could provide a light, speedy design, but also offer plenty of cushioning and support. Enter the Uptempo line.

Penny Hardaway is perhaps the perfect example of a player demanding a more all-around shoe. Then the most versatile player since Magic Johnson, Penny seemed to be able to do it all on the court. Consequently, Penny’s Air Penny from 1995 could be considered the first Uptempo signature shoe—even if it wasn’t branded with Uptempo in the name.

The Air Penny was just the beginning, and by the late 90’s there were many now-classic models under the Uptempo division of Nike Basketball. Although since the year 2000—as technologies advanced and the brand began putting out fewer models each year in need of specific Flight, Force or Uptempo distinction—Nike has mostly abandoned the Uptempo branding. But the idea of versatile, all-around shoes suitable for most players has certainly not disappeared. Just think of LeBron James' line, which are shoes built for perhaps the most versatile player ever.

While the "Uptempo" name may be gone from the current Nike Basketball line up, it lives on with retro releases of the classic 90’s models, some of which are among the brand’s most celebrated silhouettes ever. Below is a handpicked list of the most notable Uptempo models of all time.

All illustrations courtesy of Al Rodriguez of MisZapas.net