Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer 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 ...

Classic is a lifestyle shoe brand that consists of

athletic shoes Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

that became popular casual wear. The brand evolved from the Classic Leather, the Workout, the Ex-O-Fit, the Newport Classic and the Freestyle. Reebok Classic also includes Retro Running, Retro Basketball, InstaPump Fury and contemporary styles.

Product history

Franchise 5

In 1982, the Freestyle, the first athletic shoe designed for women, was introduced. The shoe popularized the

aerobic Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen. Aerobic may also refer to * Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity * Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise * Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cel ...

exercise movement, encouraged women to participate in sports and began the acceptance of athletic footwear as street and casual wear. In 1983, Reebok launched the Classic Leather, a running shoe. 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. A print advertisement showing a couple on a motorcycle with the tag line "You've Arrived" was created for the shoe. That year, the Newport Classic (NPC) and Ex-O-Fit were launched. The Ex-O-Fit was similar to the Freestyle, but designed for men. In 1985, the Workout was launched as a cross-training shoe. The shoe's simple look made it popular as casual wear.

Retro Running

Reebok Classic established the Retro Running line to re-introduce popular shoe styles from the past. The GL 6000 was a lightweight running and training shoe created to provide maximum stability. The shoe was first released in 1986 and has been re-released to honor the shoe's history and illustrate its timeless appeal. In 1990, the Ventilator, a lightweight flexible running shoe, was launched. The Ventilator's versatility made the shoe popular. Reebok Classic re-released the Ventilator "Tonal Ballistic" and "Heritage" limited edition packs in 2014. The DMX Run was launched in 1997. The shoe debuted Reebok's DMX technology, a system in which air runs through connected pods and releases energy. DMX was later used in Allen Iverson's second shoe. Reebok Classic re-released the shoe for the first time in October 2012.

Retro Basketball

The

Reebok Pump 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 ...

was introduced as a basketball shoe in 1989. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism designed to provide a customized fit. Over a four-year period the shoe sold over 20 million pairs worldwide. In 1992, the Shaq Attaq was released during the NBA season. It was Shaquille O'Neal's first signature shoe and the first official shoe for a Reebok athlete. The shoe gained popularity because it was featured on basketball cards, video games,

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

commercials and movies. The retro version of the Shaq Attaq was released in April 2013. The Reebok Kamikaze, Shawn Kemp’s signature line, was launched in 1995. That year, the Shaqnosis was launched. The shoe was worn by

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

in ''

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesse ...

''. In 1996, the Reebok Question Mid, Allen Iverson's signature shoe, was launched. The shoe became popular because it was clean and wearable. Iverson's fan-base also attributed to the Reebok Question Mid's popularity.

InstaPump Fury

The InstaPump Fury was released in 1994. The shoe was lace-less and featured Reebok's pump technology, a reduced midsole, Hexalite cushioning and a fully synthetic upper. That year, Steven Tyler wore the shoe during a performance at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. The shoe was inducted into the Design Museum of London. It has received numerous re-releases and new colorways.

In pop culture

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Travi$ Scott,

Mike Skinner (musician) Michael Geoffrey Skinner (born 27 November 1979) is an English rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. Best known for the music project the Streets, Skinner has also released music as a solo artist, as part of the D.O.T. with ...

and

Kid Ink Brian Todd Collins (born April 1, 1986), known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He released his debut independent album ''Up & Away (Kid Ink album), Up & Away'' in 2012, f ...

have collaborated with Reebok Classic.

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

, a hip-hop recording artist and producer, was the creative director of Reebok as of 2013.

References

{{Reebok Classics, Reebok