"Blue Chips" has gotten the sneaker treatment this time around, bringing back to the spotlight a movie that did reasonably well in the box office back in the day.
The movie touched on college scandals and how a college coach and basketball booster pays off talented high school graduates to join his college team as they're facing a losing season. It has aged well in terms of the message since scandals in the sports industry are still prevalent.
"Blue Chips" had some mega and youthful stars in the likes of Shaquille O'Neil and Penny Hardaway, who after this movie had his big break with the Orlando Magic's acquiring him. Penny's co-star Shaq put in a good with the Magic on his skills on-set. This led the team to trade their number one overall pick, Chris Webber, for the budding superstar. (And just a side note, Chris Webber himself was involved in a college scandal at the University of Michigan in a story similar to that of Blue Chips.)
Penny Hardaway's play with the Orlando Magic earned him his signature shoe, the "Nike Air Penny." It was more the player that made the shoe and not the brand, just like the Jordans of the day. In fact, at the time, Michael Jordan was off playing baseball, so someone with Penny's dynamic play style was very much welcomed at the time.
His shoes were something to behold, and Nike worked hard in making it as dynamic as Penny. So today, the shoes are still beloved and seen as one of Nike's most significant accomplishments.
Penny, in his prime, was capable of playing any position, so fans and critics deemed him "positionless." Nike took on the task of creating a signature shoe for his playstyle for that positionless player. They had relied on their Flight models for guards and their Force models for big men. With inspiration from Penny's playstyle, Nike created the Uptempo series, which lies between Nike's Flight and Force models. This was historical and set the standard of shoes for so many "positionless" players in the NBA today.
Nike Air Penny 5 "Blue Chips" feature colors inspired by the movie's Western University Dolphins palette. The leather shoe has a dominant bright blue hue, mesh, and Foamposite uppers. On the lateral mesh, the Swoosh is in yellow with a blue border. The iconic "1 Cent" is where it should be, on the tongue, heel, and outsole in the university's yellow color. The heel and forefoot technology in the likes of Phylon midsoles and air units will assist "positionless" and dynamic players.
The Nike Air Penny 5 "Blue Chips" will be releasing February 18th for the film's 26th year anniversary at Finish Line stores.
Written By: Craig Volney