Reebok Confirms Return of Emmitt Smith's Training Shoe

NFL legend Emmitt Smith's Reebok training shoes will be released in 2023.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Reebok was known for its authentic style and larger-than-life signature athletes. After teasing the announcement earlier this month, Reebok has confirmed the re-release of its “ES22” turf training sneaker.

Sneakerheads will remember it as the signature model legendary NFL running back Emmitt Smith introduced in 1996. The "ES22" makes its highly anticipated return on September 15 via Reebok.com and select retailers with a retail price of $180.

The number "22" is synonymous with the league’s all-team leading rusher, a three-time champion, and 2010 Hall of Fame inductee. Reebok first teamed up with the Dallas Cowboys legend in 1993, positioning the star athlete as the face of its "Preseason" line of turf footwear and cleats designed to attack off-season training.

A poster for the Reebok "ES22." / Reebok

Just three years later, towards the end of 1996, Reebok introduced Smith’s signature ES22 turf shoe under the "Preseason" banner. It was an unforgettable time for the iconic and irreverent sports culture brand.

"It’s fun to see the evolution of ES22 from the very beginning to now," commented Emmitt Smith. "It means so much to collaborate with Reebok again for the shoe's return, for all fans – young and old."

Created by praised Reebok designer E. Scott Morris, the "ES22" was built to complement Smith’s explosive playing style, speed, lateral quickness and to protect his feet from every brutal encounter:

"In conversations with Emmitt, we talked about what it’s like to be a running back in the pros," explained Morris. He said, 'It’s like getting into 25 car wrecks a day.' First things I thought of were collisions, airbags, and how car frames are designed to protect your body and head. I thought, 'Do that for a shoe,' and that’s how ES22’s frame came into being."

A detailed look at the Reebok "ES22." / Reebok

The "ES22" epitomized Reebok's unique design language of the mid-90s, highlighting the brand’s newest technology, Viz-Hex, which exposed visible Hexalite (Reebok’s groundbreaking honeycomb-shaped cushioning technology) via the outsole to showcase the technological point-of-difference of Reebok athletic footwear.

Popularity for the training model remained high years after its official debut in the sports and sneaker world. Reebok introduced new colorways for the "ES22" throughout the late 1990s and 2000s.

It has been more than 26 years since its release, and the "ES22" is back and as iconic as ever in its OG blue, black, and white Dallas Cowboys colorway featuring its core components and the distinctive ‘broken-glass’ Reebok branding elements.

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