The genesis of Reebok Shoes goes back to 1890s England, when Joseph William Foster’s handmade running shoes began attracting a wide-ranging clientele of prominent runners. Foster is credited with making some of the first running shoes with spikes, which helped athletes improve their running times. Additionally, his family-run business, J.W. Foster and Sons, provided the shoes worn in the 1924 Summer Olympics by Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, widely known from the movie “Chariots of Fire.” Foster’s work led two of his grandsons to later develop the company that became Reebok.
Reebok’s sales grew internationally over time, with North American distribution beginning in 1979, and the innovation continued. In the early 1980s Reebok was the first company to develop athletic shoes specifically designed for women, in response to the increased popularity of aerobic dance. Beyond the burgeoning trend of providing shoes for women, Reebok also helped make athletic shoes acceptable for everyday wear. Later in the decade the company began pushing into international markets in earnest, eventually expanding distribution and sales of their products to over 170 countries.
The 1990s saw Reebok move forward once again as their focus encompassed both fitness and sports footwear, and they added sports apparel to their product lines as well. Partnering with top-tier athletes, Reebok positioned itself as a brand of choice for elite talent. These types of partnerships continued into 2000 and 2001 through deals with professional sports associations such as the NBA and NFL, to provide a range of offerings from uniforms and practice apparel to association-licensed consumer clothing and footwear.
Despite their expanding line of products, the name Reebok is still probably most widely associated with running shoes. Reebok offers an extensive variety of shoes to meet runners’ needs. These include neutral running shoes for those with normal arches and foot motion, shoes that offer superior cushioning for more rigid foot types, stability shoes to compensate for overpronation, and motion control shoes for those with even greater stability needs.
The biggest news in Reebok’s current line is ZigTech, which the company’s advertising calls an “energy drink for your feet.” This line has a unique, wavy midsole that acts like a spring to provide both cushioning and efficiency while running. The spring-like technology helps transfer energy from the heel forward along the foot, providing relief for leg muscles, which in turn can allow for longer run time. The ZigTech sole style is flexible, with each key section providing independent function, while the DMX Shear foam it’s made from provides a lightweight cushion.
In other models Reebok combines the DMX Shear, to cushion and distribute impact energy from heel strikes, with other developments like its KineticFit. This feature involves stretch panels strategically placed in the shoe to accommodate the natural changes in a runner’s foot during different stride phases. Foot expansion during impact is more easily managed because the shoe stretches naturally as the foot changes.
Other technologies Reebok employs include its HexRide and XStatic offerings. The HexRide midsole contains hexagonal pockets of air sealed in by a polymer film. These air pockets provide the runner with superior, lightweight cushioning. The XStatic feature is a silver fiber embedded in the shoe that is sensitive to body temperature, staying cool in the presence of heat and warm in the presence of cold. Running shoes with XStatic also contain an antimicrobial to control odor, as well as SmoothFit uppers, a feature which either seals or eliminates all seams for an extremely comfortable fit.
Still innovative, Reebok attempts to provide the ultimate running shoe experience, seeing to a runner’s needs with comfort, safety and performance.
