This weekend as horse racing fans are getting ready for the Kentucky Derby, sneakerheads were all set for Nike to drop this limited edition of the Nike Air Trainer III Premium today. Some athletes allow their sport to define them, but others define their sport. Bo Jackson, the two-sport marvel, and arguably, the greatest pure athlete of all time, fits the latter. His ability couldn’t be contained to one arena. Rather, he performed on both, the gridiron and the diamond, popularizing cross-training in the process by sporting the legendary Air Trainer SC and follow-up models.

Now, one of Jackson’s iconic cross-training silhouettes breathes new life with the forthcoming Air Trainer 3 PRM. When he was balancing sports, it was often said that his athletic prowess knew no bounds. Classic Bo Knows spots depicted him surfing, playing cricket, and, yes, competitive horse racing. The Air Trainer 3 PRM sources design inspiration from these same ads, repurposing the colors of Jackson’s jockey outfit. The theme is kept up with two pixelated logos on the tongue and heel; one picturing a horse and jockey duo and the other depicting his now-retired collegiate number.

There are many kicks out there, but the Reebok Kamikaze II will always stand out from the crowd. Reebok teamed up with Shawn Kemp to create his signature sneaker. If you are old enough to remember Kemp’s playing days in the NBA you know how he took it strong to the hoop. Many opponents got “posterized” when Kemp would slam home a dish from his teammate Gary Payton.

Reebok first came out with the Kamikaze II in the mid-1990s. Since last year Reebok has bringing back these killer kicks to sneakerheads looking to pick up a pair. This coloryway pays respect to Kemp’s initial declaration of committing to the University of Kentucky. The sneaker has the Wildcat’s colors blue and white. Reebok named this edition the “Letter of Intent.”

The one time McDonald’s All-American decided to take his talents to Lexington and wanted to make a name for himself in one of the all-time best college’s for hoops. Unfortunately there were issues with his school records that redirected Kemp to Trinity Valley Community College.

Kemp felt that he was ready for the pro level just after one semester and entered his name into the NBA draft. After that we all know what happened when he got into the league. Kemp was rocking the Kamikaze II during the 1995-96 season. Some of his fans will say that was his best year ever in the NBA.  He averaged a double-double that season. With all that success Shawn played in the NBA All-Star Game and along with Gary Payton led the Seattle Supersonics to their first NBA Finals appearance.

Kemp was a big fan of the Kamikaze II’s and it showed with his production on the court. His sneaker had the Hexalite cushioning that gave the sneaker a lightweight feeling to it. Plus it provided him with impact resistance to help make for a successful landing every time he came back down from playing above the rim.

Just like back in the 90’s these sneakers feature the Kamikaze zig-zag, but in the Kentucky themed colors of royal and white. Upon closer inspection of the sneaker you can see the inlaid brick pattern on the blue suede. The “Letter of Intent” Kamikaze II’s are available at Reebok.com as well as places like Finishline and Eastbay.