Reebok

Reebok Clothing | Reebok Shoes

History of Reebok Clothing and Reebok Footwear.

A stylish Reebok ad.

A stylish Reebok ad.

In 1890 in Bolton, United Kingdom, Joseph William Foster was making a living producing regular running shoes when he came up with the idea to create a novelty spiked running shoe. After his ideas progressed he joined with his sons, Joe and Jeff Foster and established a shoe company named J.W. Foster and Sons. It was later changed to Reebok in 1958 after an African Antelope called Grey Rhebok or Rhebuk.

From the United Kingdom, Reebok’s craftsmanship was brought to America in the 1970’s through a goods distributor named Paul Fireman who spotted the Footwear in an international tradeshow. By the 1980’s Reebok’s clever marketing strategy brought them new popularity. With the growing trend of more women being active in sports, the brand released the Reebok Freestyle, an athletic line made for active women. According to Sneakerfiles.com, “Freestyle accounted for more than of Reebok sales, becoming one of the most popular shoes of its time. Originally, the Freestyle was introduced as a low-top Oxford-style shoe composed of leather with a gum sole. In the mid-1980’s, Reebok would go on to release the hi-top Freestyle, which was more popular than its counterpart. The hi-top version feature an ankle-high cut and consisted of two Velcro closures.” The shoe immediately became a hit and was considered a fashion statement more than an aerobic footwear.

50 Cent showing off his Reebok sneakers.

50 Cent showing off his Reebok sneakers.

Another release that is remarkable to Reebok’s history is the Reebok Pump. The rubber shoe featuring an “iconic tongue with a round orange pump that inflated the air cushion which was supposed to increase jumping ability” is made to be worn in the basketball court. Basketball superstar Dee Brown was seen sporting the footwear right before he took his winning slam-dunk in one of his games.

The rise of the band’s popularity can be credited to its unique design and innovations. Its comfort and styling made it perfect for a casual street wear.

However despite its growing company, Reebok was accused of being associated with sweatshops but in 2004. Yet the company claims time and again that they are complete advocates of human rights. In fact, it was the first company to be credited by the Fair Labor Association. Also Reebok became a member of the Non Profit Organization, Fair Factories Clearinghouse, which aims to improve the condition labor workers.

Scarlett Johanson in a Reebok campaign.

The company’s endorsement deals come mostly from the soccer (or football) realm. Some teams the company endorses are: Bolton Wanderers, Aris FC, KF Drenica, FC Köln, CSKA Moscow, Bloemfontein Celtic, AmaZulu F.C., Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, and Newcastle Jets.
In 2003 the company decided to design signature shoes with non-athletic personalities like Jay-Z for his “S. Carter Collection by Rbk”. It was followed by 50 cent, Miri Ben-Ari, DJ Tiesto, and Scarlett Johansson.
Two years later, its greatest rival in sports apparel and footwear, Adidas bought Reebok for the amount of $12.8 billion, making the label a subsidiary.

Today, Reebok continues to awe the public with its fresh take on footwear designs, launching athletic fashions with the assurance of comfort. The name epitomizes premium quality sneaks; no wonder people who play real sports dig it.