When I was a kid, my favorite sneakers were Red Ball Jets. At the heel of the shoe, where the rubber label was, they had a bright red ball that looked like the afterburner on a jet. They were cool-looking and definitely made you run faster — and as an overweight kid, I needed all the help I could get!
I happened to mention Red Ball Jets today, and to my disgust the people I was talking to scoffed at the idea that they ever existed. So, I ran a Google search, and to my amazement not only are there webpages discussing Red Ball Jets, there are even vintage, unworn pairs of kid-sized Red Ball Jets for sale on ebay — pairs like this one. They look just like I remembered. I can almost feel the cool canvas and smell the sharp new rubber tang in the air as I lace them on and run outside on a hot summer day.
