Nike Barkley Foamposite Max “Rayguns”

Tacking a “Galaxy” colorway onto any sneaker seems to be an instant win for Nike and this time Charles Barkley is the benefactor. The Nike Barkley Posite Max is the next in line to benefit from the celestial colorway with this 3M treated release. Its hard to encapsulate everything involved in this one but from its 3M upper to the use of black nubuck these feel like a real conversation piece. No word on when they will release but stay tuned for more information.

Nike Barkley Posite Max “Galaxy”
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Following up on Nike’s official unveiling, new and detailed pictures of the Nike Barkley Foamposite Max “Rayguns” have hit the ‘Net. Inspired by Area 72′s extraterrestrial character, the Nike Barkley Foamposite “Rayguns” features a Black based upper with reflective accents, hits of Purple and Red, the Raygun on the tongue, and a glow in the dark outsole that reads “I am not role model”. The Nike Barkley Foamposite Max “Rayguns” release date is set for 2/14. Check out more below
24Jan 2013
The Funky Return Of Nike’s Roswell Rayguns
January 24, 2013 | By Juan Martinez Tweet   
  
 Show thumbnails“Since making its debut for Nike Basketball more than a decade ago, the Nike Raygun character is reincarnated on the tongue of each of these shoes.  With its trademark jetpack and alien physique, the Raygun is ready to strike opponents with fury.”
Nike Sportswear announced on Wednesday that the Raygun was coming back after a lengthy hiatus.  Reincarnated thanks to five new sneakers that will make their debut during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, there are plenty of older sneakerheads excited for this return.  But if you’re reading this and don’t know what a Raygun is, sit back and watch as we take you back to the halcyon days of 2002.

Back then, Nike was in a bit of a funk and not the good kind.  They were still the #1 basketball brand in the world by a significant margin, but the competition during that era was out of this world, to say the least.  Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were still a year away from joining the swoosh, the AND1 Tour was extremely popular and they were signing players like there was no tomorrow (hi, irony), adidas had one of the brightest young stars in Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson was holding it down for Reebok.  Jordan Brand was still getting its sea legs and were not the behemoth it is now, so the weight of the company – well, at least its basketball division – was being carried on the shoulders of not one superstar, but a number of stars.

Without a superstar like Michael Jordan or even a Penny Hardaway to be the main attraction, Nike had to get even more creative with how they marketed their players that were well-known in basketball circles, but were not necessarily household names.  There were successes here and there, but none of them struck a chord with the sneaker community and basketball fans in general than the Roswell Rayguns.

Featuring an little green alien with a jetpack and a raygun (duh) for a logo, Baron Davis (“The Numbers Runner”), Paul Pierce (“The Shot Caller”), Jerry Stackhouse (“The Hustler”), and Jermaine O’Neal (“The Undisco Kid”), the Roswell Rayguns were a fictional ABA team that took the league by storm with its futuristic game, a Bootsy Coolins backing band and “Dr. Funk” himself, Vince Carter.  With Carter at the height of his popularity at the time (having already set a precedent with his own “Dr. Funk” commercial), it only made sense for him to be the leader of the Rayguns.(New Jordans 2013)