L.A. Gear Catapult
Released 19911 player
About the shoe
The Catapult was L.A. Gear’s first high-end basketball and training shoe and the signature model of Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, launched in 1991 to move the brand into the men’s technical shoe market. It retailed for $100 and was marketed without the L.A. Gear name to separate it from the brand’s young, low-price image. Its main feature was a fiberglass and graphite heel supporting an air cushion, promoted as the “Power Feedback System.” Nike sued in 1991 over its “spring moderator” patent, but the line continued with later versions.
