In 2003, L.A. Gear, the company known for endorsements with Paula Abdul, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Michael Jackson to name a few, was trying their hand at a then second comeback. One of the first athletes to ink an endorsement deal during this time was then rookie Luke Walton (son of basketball legend Bill Walton). His signature shoe featured technology from one, if not the best, LEGITIMATE basketball shoes that L.A. Gear ever created, the Catapult. Released in 1991 and endorsed by Karl Malone, the Catapult was engineered to redirect the energy of each jolt, knock or thud into an “uplifting” experience by redirecting the shock of impact into a powerful recoiling action. The shoe was also supposed to protect your body by minimizing stress to the knees, ankles and lower back all while providing stability to your foot and preventing roll. To sum it up, the original Catapult shoe was bad-ass. Fast forward to 2003 and the shoe lost some of the flare that made the original what it was. Still, the design trend at the time was very minimalistic across all brands and the Catapult was a decent looking shoe following this same trend. Luke Walton went on to win two championships with the Lakers but unfortunately, the Catapult was eventually discontinued and there hasn’t been any talk of a retro or newer model since. Take a trip back to 2003 above!