The AND1 Tai Chi is one of my favorite sneakers of all time. Not just because Vince Carter wore them in the Slam Dunk Contest, but because they were such a poignant success for a small company like AND1. It was truly a David and Goliath kind of success. The Tai Chi was only $75 when Nike, Reebok, and adidas were charging upwards of twice that price for their top-of-the-line basketball sneakers back then. On top of that, there were a ton of great colorways of the Tai Chi that people have more than likely forgotten about.
In my ongoing documentation of the sneakers I wear this year, I wore the white and red colorway, which is probably the one that comes to mind when hear the name AND1. The funny thing about the memories that come to mind for me when it comes to the AND1 Tai Chi, is this old post (or even worse, this one) I did back in 2009. Man, I hate reading my old writing. It’s soooo bad. 🤦♂️ But that’s just a part of putting yourself out there on the internet, I guess.
Aside from the backstory that you can read on Sneaker History, what I really love about these 20+ years later is that the design is still something that I think looks really good.
That’s all for today! ✌️
AND1 Tai Chi