<P> In addition to Abdul - Jabbar several other NBA stars wore L.A. Gear shoes, perhaps the most notable being Karl Malone who appeared in several commercials for the brand beginning in the early 1990s . Hakeem Olajuwon was another L.A. Gear - endorsed basketball player who after being signed stayed with the brand until 1994 when he was contracted by Spalding to endorse a line of basketball shoes with his name and number . </P> <P> Unlike other athletic shoe companies of the day L.A. Gear was not averse to going outside of sports to find endorsement contracts . One of the earliest celebrities to sign an endorsement deal with the company was singer Belinda Carlisle, who appeared in a series of print ads for L.A. Gear when the brand first began to become popular (as seen in this ad). Two of the most notable celebrities to endorse the shoes were Michael Jackson, who promoted shoes for both men and women, and Paula Abdul, who was signed away from Reebok in 1991 and whose shoe became one of the biggest sellers of the early 1990s . </P> <P> As the 1990s began L.A. Gear's popularity continued to rise . Although its original lines were typically featured in high - end department stores such as Macy's, as the decade turned L.A. Gear shoes became easier to find in other stores . Discount retailer Caldor began carrying L.A. Gear shoes designed specifically for the store and its clientele . </P> <P> The improved accessibility helped L.A. Gear's sales, and the company responded by coming out with more shoe lines to accommodate buyers . As the decade continued L.A. Gear began aggressively promoting its performance athletic shoe line . </P>

When did light up shoes first come out