History of Reebok
Reebok traces its roots to J.W. Foster and Sons, a company founded in Bolton, England, in the late 1800s that made some of the first spiked running shoes. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons, Joe and Jeff Foster, started a new company called Reebok. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of "rhebok," a type of African antelope known for its speed.
The brand's major breakthrough came after American businessman Paul Fireman acquired the North American licence in 1979. In the early 1980s, Reebok launched the Freestyle, a soft leather shoe designed for aerobics, which became especially popular with women and helped define workout fashion of the era. The Reebok Pump, introduced in 1989, added an inflatable fit system and became one of the most recognisable basketball shoes of its time.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Reebok signed deals with the NFL and NBA and developed signature shoes for athletes such as Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. In 2005, Adidas acquired Reebok to strengthen its position against Nike in North America. Although Reebok's presence in top-tier team sports declined over time, it reinvented itself around fitness through partnerships with CrossFit, UFC, and Les Mills.
In 2022, Adidas completed the sale of Reebok to Authentic Brands Group, a brand management company. Since then, Reebok has focused on its retro lifestyle products, such as the Club C and Classic Leather, along with new collaborations and licensing partnerships aimed at rebuilding its identity.