Athletic Propulsion Labs® Debuts New 'Banned Edition' Shoes Prior to NBA All-Star Weekend

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- What if the banned Athletic Propulsion Labs® Concept 1 shoes were allowed in the NBA Dunk contest? When the NBA's best players gather for the annual All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, they will have something in common: none of them will be able to walk onto the court wearing these shoes, the first-ever banned by the NBA due to their performance-enhancing abilities.  In the spirit of the NBA ban, APL today unveils a new, limited-edition shoe – the Concept 1 Red BANNED Edition – that commemorates the league's decision.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110215/CL48357-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110215/CL48357-b )

The carbon-fiber synthetic shoes are red with white trim and have the word BANNED inscribed on each insole.  They feature the same revolutionary Load 'N Launch™ Technology as the original Concept 1 shoes released in June 2010. The Concept 1 was quickly banned by the NBA based on its rule against an "undue competitive advantage" due to the fact that the shoe increases a player's vertical leap.  The ban, the first of its kind in the NBA's 64-year history, prevents players from wearing the Concept 1 during the 2010-2011 season.

APL co-founder Adam Goldston muses, "Can you imagine if this year's Dunk Contest contestants would be able to wear the Athletic Propulsion Labs Concept 1 shoes. It would generate major excitement for an event that hasn't had anything captivating since Vince Carter put on a great show in 2000 in Oakland. It is scary to think about what Blake Griffin could do in APL Concept 1 shoes. The fans in L.A. and the rest of the world would see these guys doing things we could only dream about before."

The Red Concept 1 shoes are available exclusively through www.AthleticPropulsionLabs.com, and buyers will also receive a free gift: a red "Banned by the NBA" t-shirt.

Athletic Propulsion Labs was founded by twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston, two former University of Southern California basketball players.  In biomechanical testing at a leading west coast university laboratory, the Athletic Propulsion Labs Concept 1 shoes delivered increases in vertical leap of up to 3.5 inches when compared against a leading competitive brand's most expensive basketball shoe.  Participants in the testing were also found to exert far less energy when jumping in the APL Concept 1 shoes.

"Our proprietary Load 'N Launch Technology has managed to accomplish something never before achieved in the athletic footwear industry: a product that can make you jump higher instantly," said APL co-founder Ryan Goldston.  "The patent-pending Load 'N Launch device is implanted in a cavity in the forefoot of the shoe and serves as a 'launch pad' by taking the energy exerted by the player and increasing lift with the aid of an intricate, spring-based propulsion system."

APL's Concept 1 basketball shoes were introduced in June 2010.  The NBA ban of the APL shoes took place on October 19, 2010 and quickly became the most popular story of the day.  According to Google, over 250,000 articles on the ban were published within 24 hours of the announcement, including those by AP, USA Today, Yahoo! News, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and television and radio media across the U.S. and worldwide.

For more information on Athletic Propulsion Labs and the Concept 1, please visit the website at www.AthleticPropulsionLabs.com.

SOURCE Athletic Propulsion Labs