TORONTO -- Yes, it's the Boing Shoe. Vince Carter has changed kicks more than once in his first three years in the association, but this time it's personal. The first signature Vince Carter Shox shoe from Nike was to have debuted in this year's NBA All-Star Game, but Carter was injured February 7 against San Antonio and unable to join the all-star festivities in Philadelphia.

Even though Carter had to spend the all-star break re-habbing, the launch of his own shoe was rolled out by the same company that had already changed basketball foot-wear forever with the famous red, white and black shoe worn by Michael Jordan in his rookie season.

Vince Carter sports his new shoe against Michael Jordan. Mitchell Layton NBAE/Getty Images

The VC shoe was designed more with downhill skiing in mind than basketball - because, even in Vince Carter's world, what goes up must come down.

"Graceful power," is how designer Aaron Cooper of Nike describes Carter's game on the court, and that's what Cooper had in mind when his first sketches came to life on the computer screen.

"My main inspiration for the shoe was downhill skiers," he says. "They wear wind-resistant uniforms that improve aerodynamics, which allow a faster ride. This sleek-look-ing shoe does the same."

The Vince Carter signature shoe is a variation on the first edition of the Nike BB4 Shox shoe which Carter debuted in the Sydney Olympics. In fact, the shoe debuted with a world-wide "Boing!" when Carter intercepted a pass at halfcourt, charged toward the rim and cleared 7-foot-2 Frederic Weis of France in a pande-monium-inducing dunk that SLAM magazine used to anoint Vince "The greatest dunker of all time." That Olympic moment was a "signature" dunk if ever there was one, adding a global chapter to the already rapidly expanding legend of Vinsanity.

Carter's prodigious leaping talents were a prime focus as Nike prepared to launch the second version of the Shox shoe, which was presented to the public during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia in February. This shoe belongs to Vince, alone.

Cooper started his design with a mesh "jump sock" to provide cushioning and ankle support.

"This foot cradle helps Vince do what he does best -jump, which he can do with the best of them," Cooper says. "But Vince is a big guy as well, so he needed a shoe that could help him jump high, but also provide support when coming down." A lot of planning goes into designing and creating a new shoe for any athletic pursuit, not just basketball. But this being the first shoe with Carter's name on it, he was directly involved with Cooper, who designed the shoe with development help from Craig Nomi in the U.S. and Tony Macey in Asia.

This the exact replica of the new Vince Carter shoe.

Until Nike came along with the Air Jordans in the mid-1980s, there had not been much variety - let alone innovation - in the design of basket-ball footwear. The "classic" basketball shoe was a rubber-soled, canvas-upper job that defined hard-court footwear for the better part of the last century. Oh sure, there had been Dr. J's white, faux-leather Converse high-tops in the mid-'70s and Clyde Frazier's legendary Puma low-cut suedes, but for the most part, ballers wore white high-tops.

Except for the Celtics, who had always worn black shoes under the watchful eye of coach and general manager Red Auerbach. Auerbach's interest wasn't in fashion, but rather, economics. "The black shoes didn't show the dirt as much," he would say. "So we could use them longer." The Celtics began wearing green shoes in the 1970s, a practice that mercifully ended in 1985. Since the shoe companies couldn't deliver a consistent shade of Kelly green, in the 1985-86 season the Boston Celtics returned to wearing black shoes and won their 16th NBA championship. By the 1990s, many teams were choosing to wear black shoes, especially in the playoffs.

The Raptors wear white shoes at home, black on the road. The first version of the Carter shoe was black, with red columns. But designer Cooper had more in mind than colour schemes and Nike shoe designs have come a long way from those early Air Jordans.

The first VC signature shoe breaks from all that has gone before. "From a design standpoint, I wanted the consumer to focus on just one part of the shoe - Nike Shox technol-ogy in the forefoot - and let all else go," says Cooper. "Thus the upper is a clean, plain shroud, devoid of any seams, aesthetically pleasing to the eye."

Nike's standard for basketball shoes have created a demanding legacy. With 16 years of research and testing behind it, Nike Shox represents entirely new technology for athletic footwear and is Nike's most significant product launch since Nike Air.

Carter exchanged both ideas and suggestions with Cooper as the new shoe evolved. "It was a two-way thing (with Nike)," says Vince. "My shoe is just another version (of the first Shox), just another look. I like it. I got a chance to make it myself. Any time you get a chance to make a shoe, you better like it."

Vince Carter needs good shoes to make drives like these. Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images

The addition of Nike Shox technology to the forefoot is the new step up from the first "Boing" model worn by Carter, providing more responsive cushioning and a greater transition from heel to toe. The Shox column technology is now extended to the forefoot for a more responsive performance. The columns function as both springs and shock absorbers for the feet. The final result is bang on for the blacktop or the hardcourt: basket-ball players can run, cut and jump with greater comfort.

What differentiates the Nike Shox VC basketball system from the running-and-cross training shoes is a cup design that wraps up into the heel, functioning practically as a fifth column, and this in turn provides both lateral stability and overall durability. The Nike Shox column design is biased toward the centre of the heel, promoting inward collapse and maintaining a stable and controlled foot orientation.

Cooper has wrapped the "jump sock" with a minimal skeletal rib cage to surround the entire sock and provide the foot with support and stability. The stretch shroud keeps the shoe stealth and gives it an "ultra sleek" look. "The cage is covered by light-weight material," Cooper says. "We usually use synthetic leather, but that tends to be heavy and we wanted a lighter shoe. There's also a rein-forced tip for protection."

The design highlights of the Nike Shox system are made up of more than just the Shox columns. The outsole, forefoot, midsole, plates and transition wedge are engineered to work in tandem with the Nike Shox columns, enabling the unique respon-siveness of this shoe. Nike Shox is the company's most rigorously tested product. Much of the research was performed in the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL).

Nike replicated a basketball court at the NSRL so scientists could run a series of tests using 3D high-speed video and force-pressure platforms to capture and break down the movement of basketball players as they ran, jumped and cut through their moves. The NSRL fused the needs of the athlete and the footwear's performance data to create this unique, versatile basketball shoe.

"Growing up, a boy has three days he dreams for," says Carter, "driver's license, making it to the NBA and getting a signature shoe."

Bill Payne is the managing editor of the Raptors Insider Magazine