Hoop and Harm, And1!!!

Rafer Alston via

The late 90s and early 2000s saw the rise of And1, a sporting goods and footwear company out of Pennsylvania. With its non-traditional marketing by use of "Mix Tapes", And1 garnered a cult following. Streetball legend Rafer "Skip 2 My Lou" Alston put the brand on the map and with the likes of NBA superstars Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury further increasing its popularity. 

And1 has its fair share of ups and downs. From its rise to fame in the early 2000s to its demise somewhere around 2006 and so. But consistently,  And1 has been battling back for its relevance. It followed suit with other brands formula by retroing some of its classics, the Tai Chi's and the Tochillin. And through it all there is one fan that has stood with the brand. adiCT's corner caught up with Glenmarc "The Flash" Antonio, founder of the blog And1 Philippines.

People know you as The Flash? Can you tell us more about that? 

The Flash has been my nickname for a long time already. My online handle used to be g_sk1lls (Got Skills), but it has eventually transitioned to Flash over the years. It reflects my geeky persona (comic-based fandom), and my active lifestyle (since I participate heavily in sports, most specifically – basketball, running, Ultimate Frisbee, and more). It remains a constant presence in my online accounts (FB, Twitter / IG @i_am_flash).

What started your love for And1?

My love for the AND1 brand started in late 1990’s, when the brand has slowly but surely gained a strong cult following in the basketball community both internationally and locally. When I got selected to play for my university’s Men’s Basketball Varsity team (Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila), it has become my weapon of choice. Fast forward to 2014 and more than 25 pairs later, I have continued to trust the brand and what it has stood for. More than anything else, I have become a very loyal and vocal advocate of AND1 and established the AND1 Philippines fanpage in 2011. The products of AND1 have a strong mix of style, attitude, and excellent performance, and those qualities are the main reasons why I continue to support the brand’s product line.

Favorite And1 sneaker?

Got to be a sleeper hit for me. The AND1 Standing O Mids. A close second would be the Tai Chi Mids.

You gotta agree with me on this one, but a few years ago And1 took a dip in the sneaker scene even losing some of their NBA athletes. Where do you see And1 going and its relevance in sneaker culture for the foreseeable future?

No doubt. There was really a brief lull of NBA endorsers for AND1. Nonetheless, the brand is back on track now and is on the resurgent phase. I believe it will slowly but surely regain its followers, and forge a new fandom with the newer generation of ballers.

Thoughts on Lance Stephenson being the new face of the brand?

It’s huge. He’s been playing well for the past couple of seasons and is a triple double threat every game. His continued maturity with the Bobcats may eventually lead him to an All-Star berth, and that would be huge for the AND1 brand.

Tell us about Tai Chi Tuesdays?

Tai Chi Tuesdays is an online marketing campaign that I basically started over at the AND1 Philippines Facebook and Twitter accounts. It simply features images of the iconic Tai Chi Mids model originally released in 2000, and was worn by numerous NBA players – most notably by Vince Carter during the 2000 NBA All Star Game in which he famously won the dunk contest.

Every Tuesday, I make it a point to posted images of the AND1 Tai Chis (solo pics, collages) as shared by the original owners on Instagram, or as worn by NBA players (during its heyday) or by local basketball players. I’m just glad the catchphrase / hashtag is gaining popularity every week. 

You’ve been promoting the re-release of the Tai Chi’s (I personally love ‘em), what does it mean to you that it’s still one the most sought after shoe from the brand?

I’m really thrilled that the Tai Chi is still popular and relevant all over, 15 years after it was originally released. I’ve reached out to the designer of the AND1 Tai Chi Mids, Portland-based Tuan Le, and I’ve shared with him these things. He’s quite happy that it’s happening now and that the Tai Chi Mids are still being distributed. On my part, I’m more than happy to continue promoting the AND1 Tai Chi Mids to this generation’s ballers and honor it’s iconic place as one of AND1’s most successful silhouettes.








Click on below to follow The Flash:

Facebook Account

Facebook Page

AND1 Philippines Blog

Twitter and IG Handle: @I_am_Flash and @AND1PH