The National Basketball Association banned a shoe loaded with springs because it created an “undue competitive advantage.”
The shoe, Concept 1, was created by Athletic Propulsion Labs, founded by former USC basketball players Adam and Ryan Goldston. The twins’ father, Mark Goldston, was formerly president of LA Gear and chief marketing officer for Reebok and credited with innovations as the Reebok Pump and adding flashing lights on sneakers a generation ago.
According to a statement from APL, a senior NBA official stated that under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game “that creates an undue competitive advantage (e.g., to increase a player's vertical leap).”
Last week, the APL website was running the message, “Because of the NBA ban announcement, we are experiencing an enormous amount of traffic” next to a picture of the shoe stamped with the words “Banned by the NBA.” The $300 shoe, introduced in July 2010, continues to be sold primarily through APL’s website.
“We were not exactly shocked to hear the NBA chose to ban our shoes,” said Adam Goldston in the statement. “The Load ‘N Launch Technology not only provides an instant and dramatic increase in vertical leap, but the biomechanical testing showed that the players exerted far less energy as a result.”
This action comes on the 25th anniversary of the NBA’s ban on Nike's Air Jordan shoes, although it was because of their colorful appearance rather than any performance advantage.
