Reebok is reissuing Allen Iverson’s fifth signature shoe back to retail officially tomorrow, August 10. The classic white and black Reebok Answer IV retro locks down all the major elements we’ve known for a decade: DMX cushioning, zip-up upper, and AI’s face embedded in the sole. The shoe itself comes baked in some iconic sports imagery:
How faithful is the new Answer IV to the old one, though? Comparing these detailed photos we took to Reebok’s official press imagery for the pairs releasing tomorrow, I’d say the Answer IV reissue is pretty faithful. Pretty. Not entirely. The biggest model-to-model discrepancy I could find hangs at the bottom of the zipper enclosure. Or did.
This is what Answer IV fans will be purchasing tomorrow:
This is what the Answer IV looked like the last time it came out in stores, from the same angle. The extra zipper stopper material piece is wiped clean from old to new.
Comparing the rest of the shoe, it looks like the other material change is the dimensional size and appearance of Allen Iverson’s likeness on the bottom of the heel. The last produced Answer IV batch shows a blown up AI face that covers the entire circumference of the silver colored area (see directly below) while new Answer IV scales back to frame the face better.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison (below: old Answer IV on left, new model on right). Did Reebok shave Allen’s beard? Or is it a result of pulling the graphic back. What was David Stern’s involvement? You decide:
If we’ve missed something, here’s all the Answer IV photographic evidence to build your own case…
