Reebok

Reebok is a global athletic footwear and apparel brand with origins dating back to 1958, when it was founded by Joe and Jeff Foster in Bolton, Lancashire, England. The Foster family had been making running shoes since the 1890s through J.W. Foster and Sons, which produced some of the first known spiked running shoes. The brand was renamed Reebok after the grey rhebok, a South African antelope. Reebok gained massive popularity in the 1980s with the introduction of the Freestyle Hi, one of the first athletic shoes designed specifically for women, which became a cultural phenomenon during the aerobics craze. The brand continued its momentum with the iconic Classic Leather, Club C, and the Pump, a revolutionary shoe with an inflatable air bladder for customized fit, launched in 1989. Reebok signed landmark endorsement deals with athletes including Allen Iverson, whose Answer and Question lines became basketball shoe legends. The company was acquired by Adidas in 2005 for $3.8 billion, but the relationship underperformed expectations. In 2022, Adidas sold Reebok to Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which has since managed the brand through licensing partnerships. Reebok has maintained a strong presence in the fitness community, particularly through its long association with CrossFit, and its Nano training shoe line remains popular among gym enthusiasts. The brand continues to generate approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue and retains a loyal following for its heritage sneakers and fitness-focused products.