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| Product type | Footwear |
|---|---|
| Owner | Reebok |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1983 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Reebok Classic is a lifestyle shoe brand that consists of athletic shoes that became popular casual wear. [1] [2] The brand evolved from the Classic Leather, the Workout, the Ex-O-Fit, the Newport Classic and the Freestyle. [2] Reebok Classic also includes Retro Running, Retro Basketball, InstaPump Fury and contemporary styles.
In 1982, the Freestyle, the first athletic shoe designed for women, was introduced. [3] [4] The shoe popularized the aerobic exercise movement, encouraged women to participate in sports and began the acceptance of athletic footwear as street and casual wear. [3] In 1983, Reebok launched the Classic Leather, a running shoe. [5] [6] [7] It gained popularity as casual wear because of its simple design in comparison to the technical running footwear designs that followed the Classic Leather's release. [5] A print advertisement showing a couple on a motorcycle with the tag line "You've Arrived" was created for the shoe. [6] That year, the Newport Classic (NPC) and Ex-O-Fit were launched. [8] [9] The Ex-O-Fit was similar to the Freestyle, but designed for men. [6] In 1985, the Workout was launched as a cross-training shoe. [6] [10] [11] The shoe's simple look made it popular as casual wear. [6]
Reebok Classic established the Retro Running line to re-introduce popular shoe styles from the past. [12] The GL 6000 was a lightweight running and training shoe created to provide maximum stability. [12] The shoe was first released in 1986 and has been re-released to honor the shoe's history and illustrate its timeless appeal. [12] In 1990, the Ventilator, a lightweight flexible running shoe, was launched. [13] [14] The Ventilator's versatility made the shoe popular. [15] Reebok Classic re-released the Ventilator "Tonal Ballistic" and "Heritage" limited edition packs in 2014. [13] [15] The DMX Run was launched in 1997. [16] [17] The shoe debuted Reebok's DMX technology, a system in which air runs through connected pods and releases energy. [17] DMX was later used in Allen Iverson's second shoe. [16] Reebok Classic re-released the shoe for the first time in October 2012. [18]
The Reebok Pump was introduced as a basketball shoe in 1989. [19] It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism designed to provide a customized fit. [20] Over a four-year period the shoe sold over 20 million pairs worldwide. [20] In 1992, the Shaq Attaq was released during the NBA season. [21] It was Shaquille O'Neal's first signature shoe and the first official shoe for a Reebok athlete. [21] The shoe gained popularity because it was featured on basketball cards, video games, Pepsi commercials and movies. [22] The retro version of the Shaq Attaq was released in April 2013. [22] The Reebok Kamikaze, Shawn Kemp's signature line, was launched in 1995. [23] That year, the Shaqnosis was launched. [24] The shoe was worn by Will Smith in Men in Black . [24] In 1996, the Reebok Question Mid, Allen Iverson's signature shoe, was launched. [25] The shoe became popular because it was clean and wearable. [25] Iverson's fan-base also attributed to the Reebok Question Mid's popularity. [25]
The InstaPump Fury was released in 1994. [26] The shoe was lace-less and featured Reebok's pump technology, a reduced midsole, Hexalite cushioning and a fully synthetic upper. [26] That year, Steven Tyler wore the shoe during a performance at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. [27] The shoe was inducted into the Design Museum of London. [28] It has received numerous re-releases and new colorways. [28]
Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Travi$ Scott, Mike Skinner (musician) and Kid Ink have collaborated with Reebok Classic. [29] [30] Swizz Beatz, a hip-hop recording artist and producer, was the creative director of Reebok as of 2013. [31]
Converse is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes, and licenses footwear, apparel, and accessories. Founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, it has been acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003.
Adidas AG is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Nike. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which also owns an 8.33% stake of the football club Bayern München, and Runtastic, an Austrian fitness technology company. Adidas's revenue for 2018 was listed at €21.915 billion.
The Air Force is a range of athletic shoes made by Nike that began with Air Force 1. It was created by designer Bruce Kilgore and was the first basketball shoe to use Nike's "Air" technology. The shoe is offered in low-, mid- and high-top styles.
Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.
The Reebok Pump is a line of athletic shoes that was first released on November 24, 1989, by Reebok. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in the lower and upper tongue to provide locking around the ankle.
Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under Jordan Brand.
Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars is a sneaker manufactured by Converse. Initially developed as a basketball shoe in the early 20th century, its design has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. The shoe consists of a stitched upper portion, and a toe cap and outsole usually made of rubber. Although Chuck Taylors are made of various materials such as leather or suede, the original and most widely known version is made from cotton canvas. The innovative detail of the original shoe was the "loose lining" of soft canvas that was intended to provide flexibility and prevent blisters.
British Knights is an American brand founded in 1983 by Jack Schwartz Shoes Inc., based in New York City. In the 1980s, British Knights distinguished themselves as an inner-city and music-driven brand, appealing to the predominantly male youth in urban communities.
Nike Air Max is a line of shoes produced by Nike, Inc., with the first model released in 1987. Air Max shoes are identified by their midsoles incorporating flexible urethane pouches filled with pressurized gas, visible from the exterior of the shoe and intended to provide cushioning to the underfoot. Air Max was conceptualized by Tinker Hatfield, who initially worked for Nike designing stores.
Mary Jane is an American term for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.
Reebok Freestyle is an athletic shoe style introduced in 1982 by Reebok. The Freestyle was the first sneaker designed and marketed for women. It helped Reebok into the mainstream athletic wear market and fashion scene along with becoming one of the most popular athletic shoes of all time. In 1984, the shoe accounted for more than half of Reebok sales. The Reebok Freestyle was popular during the 1980s aerobics craze and is still in production and remodeled through various collections and style variations.
LA Gear is an American shoe company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1983 and is currently part of Frasers Group brands.
Fashion of the 1980s was characterized by a rejection of 1970s fashion. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. The first half of the decade was relatively tame in comparison to the second half, which was when apparel became very bright and vivid in appearance.
A dress shoe is a shoe to be worn at smart casual or more formal events. A dress shoe is typically contrasted to an athletic shoe.
Reebok International Limited is an American fitness footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had been founded in 1895 in Bolton, Lancashire. From 1958 until 1986, the brand featured the flag of the United Kingdom in its logo to signify the origins of the company. It was bought by German sporting goods company Adidas in 2005, then sold to the United States-based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. The company's global headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts, in the Seaport District.
Adidas Stan Smith is a tennis shoe made by Adidas, and first launched in 1965. Originally named "Adidas Robert Haillet" after the brand endorsed French prominent player Robert Haillet, in 1978 the sneakers were renamed after Stan Smith, an American tennis player who was active between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s.
The 2010s were defined by hipster fashion, athleisure, a revival of austerity-era period pieces and alternative fashions, swag-inspired outfits, 1980s-style neon streetwear, and unisex 1990s-style elements influenced by grunge and skater fashions. The later years of the decade witnessed the growing importance in the western world of social media influencers paid to promote fast fashion brands on Pinterest and Instagram.
Reebok Ventilator is a line of athletic shoes by Reebok. The footwear was first introduced in 1990 as a lightweight sneaker with vented side panels. The Ventilators focused on "breathability" with bold colored silhouette. Originally popular in the '90s, the Reebok Ventilator has been released in different styles throughout the years and is still in production.
Reebok Zig is an athletic footwear technology and collection of shoes designed by Reebok. ZigTech debuted in January 2010 and was first introduced with the ZigPulse later that year. ZigTech includes a zigzag foam sole that is designed to push athletes forward. The design assists in energy return to the wearer by absorbing impact at the heel and dispersing the energy through the zigzag composition which propels the athlete forward and also reduces stress on the shins. Reebok has released various styles of ZigTech designs that are compatible across a variety of sports.
Allbirds, Inc. is a New Zealand and American company that sells footwear and apparel. The company claims to keep its products as eco-friendly as possible and is a certified B Corporation. Allbirds uses a direct-to-consumer model in conjunction with distribution via select additional stores, selling its products through its website and retail stores in addition to select Nordstrom and Dick's Sporting Goods locations.
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