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I haven’t bought some Reeboks since I was into getting multiple colorways of basic Reebok Classics. I was never really sure if I liked any other Reebok models, and the Reebok Instapump Fury never really appealed to me back in the day. Sometimes though you can suddenly see things in a new light!
Reebok acquired Ellesse in the late 80s, and one of their products was a ski boot with a pump mechanism. The first Reebok Pump basketball shoes started coming out in 1989. In 1992, the tech began to be adapted to a running shoe via Steven Smith. The resulting Instapump Fury released in 1994 and drew inspiration from the New Balance Super Comp. The Super Comp was known for bright colors and the unique looking toebox.
Adidas has owned Reebok and depending when you’re reading this, either still owns them or has sold them off. In any case, any Adidas x Reebok shoes will become a rarity in the future. Once the brands have parted ways these will make for excellent collector’s items.
How is the Quality?
Much of this model’s makeup features stretchy nylon and mesh, so the quality is generally tough to establish on purely materials. The construction is generally very good though with great craftsmanship on the pairs I’ve gotten.
Overall I’d say the Reebok Instapump Fury is more a looks and concept shoe than a material quality-based shoe. Its one of those pairs you put on and people go “Woah what are those!”, but in a good way. At the end of the day these are designed to get attention, and the materials help serve that purpose on the pairs I’ve gotten.
How Do The Instapump Fury Fit?
The Reebok Instapump Fury fit true to size. The sock-bootie set up gives a great 1:1 fit and is very comfortable.
I normally wear a size 9.5 in most Reeboks. I consider that my true size. These fit fine at a 9.5 so I recommend whatever you normally get in Reebok just stick with that same true to size.
The Instapump Fury’s gimmick is a sock-shoe type approach with no laces and a pump to control the fit. Given that the upper is mostly nylon and mesh, I find these to be very comfortable as far as the upper. It fit fine right away with no break in and of course, you pump the shoe to tighten as needed. It basically has a kind of slip on sock shoe type of feel up top.
Underfoot we get some nice solid support dispite the gap between the front and back of the shoe thanks to the carbon fiber plate underneath the shoe.This is a very comfortable shoe given that the midsole provides that support with a comfortable bit of give.
I think at the end of the day, the pump itself is kind of a gimmick and I rarely actually use it. However, the sock-shoe fit and chunky midsole make this a great shoe regardless. I also really like the different look of the shoe.
Where To Buy the Reebok Instapump Fury
You can also shop for new Reebok Instapump Furies on Reebok’s website as well as sneaker boutiques and aftermarket sites.
You can find the BBC collab on eBay and can also find the ZX Fury on eBay
BBC x Reebok Instapump Fury Boost
Colorway: Dandy Blue / Sky Blue / Yellow Sensation
Style Code: GZ536
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $200
Buy: eBay
The Reebok X BBC Instapump is the first pair of this shoe I picked up. It is obviously a collab between Reebok and clothing company Billionaire Boys Club. We have some Adidas influence as well with the Boost midsole. The shoe is based on water and is part of an “Earth and Water” pack, releasing alongside a more earth-toned pair.
I love the colors on the BBC pair and I think this colorway is the superior out of the Earth and Water pack. I’ve been a fan of Billionaire Boys club in general and finally I have a collab shoe featuring them. I like all the space themed details that BBC, Reebok and adidas incorporated into the sneaker.
On these kicks, we have a red pulltab with 3M stripes at the top of the tongue. The mesh used here consists of Cordura fabric which apparently is the same as used on space suits, a nod to BBC’s typical spaceman theme. You can tell by the tag on the side of the tongue. Moving down we have the Billionaire Boys club spaceman logo on the pump with a white release valve to the side. Further down we have the Reebok logo. Even further down, more mesh on the toebox. The toebox features a 3M hit and a leather toecap. Moving around to the side we have more of the nylon overlay and Cordura mesh. On the back we have another red and silver pulltab over a plastic piece with the Reebok logo in silver down below.
The insole features a space graphic (another nod to the BBC aesthetic). The outsole is gum with the Reebok logo towards the front. They ship in a Navy drawer style box with a multicolored front and cobranding on top and include a BBC rocketship keychain
These sport Cordura fabric for the mesh areas, and it seems very tightly packed and well put together. The nylon overlay seems solid, it is what it is. The leather hit towards the front is minimal but soft and somewhat plush.
On the BBC pair we get the added benefit of exposed Boost. Normally I’d avoid a shoe with this much Boost for long walks or all day wear, instead preferring more solid support for the long term. However, the midsole is so chunky that it’s somewhat prevented from attaining too much squishiness. Long story short, the Boost here just adds a bit of that Boost feel without feeling sloppy or overly spongy.
Adidas x Reebok Instapump ZX Fury
Colorway: Core Black / Hypergreen / Rbk Red
Style Code: GZ7286
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $200
Buy: eBay
The ZX Fury are another co-branded Adidas/Reebok release and part of the A-ZX series as the letter Z. The series pairs each letter of the alphabet with a model of Adidas ZX in either a collab or theme. The shoe takes the OG Aqua colorway of the ZX 8000 and pairs it with the OG Citron colorway of the Instapump Fury.
The sneaker is definitely a dope concept and I love that Citron overlay sleeve juxtaposed against the Aqua skeletor type colorway. This shoe just explodes off the feet in terms of looks and the cobranding all over reinforces how unique this collab really is.
For this shoe, we swap out the red pulltabs for purple and Cordura fabric for the typical ZX pinstripe mesh. Moving down we have ZX Instapump on the pump with a black release valve. Further down we get the Reebok logo on the left shoe and the Adidas trefoil on the right. The toebox here is basically the ZX8000 style with more pinstripe mesh, suede overlays and a suede mudguard. On the side we have more mesh peeking through the nylon overlay that incorporates the 3 Stripes. Towards the rear of the shoe we get a ZX8000 style heelcage with more mesh and nylon making up the back of the sneaker.
We get a light blue insole with black ZX Fury Instapump lettering featuring more adidas and Reebok cobranding. The outsole is black and red with a small trefoil towards the front. The shoe comes in a cobranded white A-ZX box and includes a cobranded ZX Instapump keychain.
These sport pinstripe mesh and nylon mostly, so the materials seem good for what they are. The suede used on the toebox reminds me of the actual Aqua retro that I have already… It’s a basic synthetic suede but is soft and doesn’t feel cheap. I’d say it’s a step above the typical felt suede we see on many Adidas retros.