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5 Trainers Every 00s Teenager Wore

by Tom Armstrong
22 January 2015 22 Comments

They were absolutely everywhere then disappeared off the face of the earth within weeks. Chances are you've worn a pair of these. It's nothing to be ashamed of, we all have.

Nike TNs

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Despite looking like creatures that would crawl the desert after a nuclear blast, the Nike TNs were immensely sought after. So much so that they successfully brought back the age old British tradition of taxing, where kids would be regularly mugged for their gear. Walking around Selborne Walk in these was like trekking the Serengeti wearing Lady GaGa’s meat dress. Luckily by the time they were popular I’d stopped wearing cunts trainers.

Reebok Classic

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Looked brilliant, especially a bit frayed from repeatedly booting a football against a brick wall, until the day the little bit on the toe separated from the trainer - then it was game over. No matter how many times you tried to superglue it back on, your creps had lost their game. They’re currently back in a big way, usually to be found on the feet of media / PR folk who like to pretend they were into UK Garage in their teens when in fact they were tucked up in some green belt village bopping out to Green Day.

Nike Air Rift

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Apparently Nike were inspired to make the Air Rift by Kenyan athletes who ran barefoot on hot stony ground - something which would prove a preferable alternative to wearing these. The Nike Air Rift took the natural elegance of a pig’s trotter and applied it to humans (finally!), allowing us all to gallop around like a modern day Satyrs in Maharishi combats. Apparently still popular in Chesterfield.

Reebok G-Unit

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Celebrity trainer endorsements have had mixed success. Who could forget the now legendary Gareth Southgate Bull Boy shoes, a precursor to the Puma Mostro, which came with a pair of shinpads signed by Alan Hansen - everything no kid ever wanted rolled into one terrible marketing decision. An alternative way to guarantee kids wanting to buy your shoes is to get a violent gangster who’s been shot in the face to endorse them. That was the logic when Reebok got 50 Cent and his mates behind their new kicks, and it worked.

Puma Mostro

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When I say everybody had these, I mean errrrrrrybody had these. At one point there were more Puma Mostros in the UK than sheep. They looked like something out of the future, trainers from space: “Flying cars can’t be far behind now” we all thought. It’s funny how a pair of bandaged-up old people slippers can get you excited as a kid.

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

Broadhead 10:02 am, 16-Apr-2014

Those Puma's were horrific. A few of my mates had them and you were guaranteed to ruin your jeans as they would always end up underneath the back of them. Always wanted the the TN's but couldn't afford them. Classics were seen as being a bit chavvy round our way and the Rift's would have annoyed me, i can't do with stuff between my toes.

Joe Wagg 10:28 am, 16-Apr-2014

Everybody certainly didn't own these, unless you were a bit of a clueless scratter who shopped in Sports Direct. Apart from the Air Rift you've compiled a list of the most hideous footwear known to mankind.

Carl 10:53 am, 16-Apr-2014

I remember begging my dad for a pair of TNs in Selborne Walk in Walthamstow. Ahh... memories

CoolJerk 11:20 am, 16-Apr-2014

Those Reebok G-Unit are monstrous. Look like a rip off of the already risible Inter Spoiler from the '80s. They had a chunk of plastic on the back. Ugh.

Tony 12:21 pm, 16-Apr-2014

Where's my Sambas?

bravenewmalden 3:06 pm, 16-Apr-2014

Plimsolls, for me, then I joined the cool kids with a pair of bumpers. No mention of either of those items of iconic footwear, I notice.

jimmynine 3:12 pm, 16-Apr-2014

totally agree with the rifs and the Maharishi combats, lol thats so on point, had all of these apart from the reebok g units?? was also massively into uk garage, heartless crew xx

james 5:22 pm, 16-Apr-2014

I didn't even own the Nike Rift's I was just insanely jealous of those around me who did. Which definitely makes me worse.

Le chat 8:30 pm, 16-Apr-2014

Rifts are indeed still rife in Chez Vegas. Mostros were an aberration. Looked shite with anything.

DannyOh 6:57 am, 17-Apr-2014

Mostro's were good at the time. Puma Sprint's were a good less chavvy alternative to the Classics as well. TN's in certain colours were great but the major it were shit. Rift's were among the comfiest shoe known to man, but christ they made you're feet stink. It might be a London thing, but Nike Cortez. Everyone had a shit pair of Nike Cortez. I don't remember anyone wearing the G Unit's.

steff 1:00 pm, 17-Apr-2014

Well I've pretty much worn ZX 750s (or 600s or 700s) since about 1987, with the occasional pair of Stan Smiths, Rom, Gazelles, Superstars, Campus, Dragon, Vibe, Adiracers, LAs, or Trimm Trabs apart from the Kicks and Sambas as wore as a kid. I had a pair of Reebok classics and Troop Cobra IIs in the late 80s and a few aberrations over the years (Fila Trailblazers and Puma Monstros) and recently bought my first pair of Nikes Nike Air Lunar Force 1 VT Mesh, not very comfy though might get some Addidas Beckenbauers or Puma Dalgleish.

Greg Atkins 1:06 pm, 17-Apr-2014

Patrick Kielty wears Nike Air Rifts with a suit.

Macmurphy 1:28 pm, 17-Apr-2014

Liverpool were wearing all these in 1971. Pioneers and all that.

Broadhead 1:44 pm, 17-Apr-2014

Say no more.

rips 8:05 pm, 17-Apr-2014

5 Trainers everyone had [ the real edit ] 1. Reebok Workouts 2. Adidas Stan Smiths 3. Nike AirMax 4. HiTec Squash/Badminton { for people of a certain age } 5. Adidas Kick { also for people of a certain age }

Roy 2:08 pm, 18-Apr-2014

People who wore these didn't deserve feet.

Ketch 4:01 pm, 18-Apr-2014

Adidas Martial Arts as well, dreadful daps.

Frogger 10:25 pm, 21-Apr-2014

Everyone used to wear? Not on my watch mate!

t 1:07 pm, 22-Apr-2014

No LA Gear?

julian k 3:46 am, 22-Jul-2014

Everybody used to wear Reeboks?!

JC 4:06 pm, 16-Sep-2014

Pumps are for sporting activities only. A good stout pair of oxfords or brogues are the footwear for gentlemen.

bruce 12:30 am, 27-Jan-2015

I never wore any of these.

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