Rare Nike Total Air Foamposite Max Prototype? Tim Duncan 1996/97

Screen shot 2013-01-23 at 1.29.38 PM

Back in 1998, images of a Nike Air Foamposite Max that looked more like they were created for walking on the Moon than to play basketball surfaced. Is it possible that the bulky material wrapped around them was used more so to conceal what they looked like than as functional design for the shoe? Check it out and you be the judge