Reebok Freestyle
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Reebok Freestyle is an
athletic shoe 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 ...
style introduced in 1982 by
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 ...
. The Freestyle was the first sneaker designed (by Angel Martinez) 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.


History

Released in 1982, the Reebok Freestyle was the first athletic shoe designed for women, even though it has also become fairly popular among males. Martinez and Steve Liggett, head of Reebok production, were instrumental developing the shoe. The shoe was made to accommodate aerobics workouts and was released during the height of the 1980s aerobics craze. Fitness Instructor Denise Austin was one first to promote the shoe by wearing them at a sport and fitness exposition in Los Angeles. "I absolutely loved this time in my career, I was the first spokesperson for the very first aerobic shoe," Austin said in a November, 22, 2019
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post. Following the debut and success of the Freestyle, Reebok began sponsoring clinics and workout programs throughout the 1980s and '90s. The shoes could be seen on the trainers of Jane Fonda workout videos and classes, and the Step Reebok workout routine was released in 1989. By 1983, Reebok's sales were over $13 million, accounting for half of the company's total sales and the following year concluded with $66 million in sales. The Freestyle success and the
athletic shoe 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 ...
fad of the late 1980s saw new competition from
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,
LA Gear LA Gear (or L.A. Gear) is an American shoe company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1983, the brand is currently owned by ACI International. History LA Gear was started by Robert Greenberg, Ernest Williams, and Stephen Williams. Gr ...
, and Nike. Many competitors, like LA Gear and off-price retailers like Fayva, had models that looked like the Freestyle high-top complete with velcro enclosures.


Description

The Freestyle debuted as a terrycloth lined sneaker with "glove-soft" leather designed for
aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...
workouts. The shoe was designed for fitness purposes but became used for casual wear as well. The shoe comes in two different styles including below the ankle, like a tennis shoe, or the
high-top The high-top is a shoe that extends slightly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top, which typically extends no higher than the wearer's ...
style that covers the ankle, like a basketball shoe. The Freestyle high-top features two velcro straps that fasten around the ankle and is made in women's sizes, but is considered unisex, being also worn by men. Both the low-top and high-top were offered in white, black, red, yellow, blue, pink, orange, and green colors over the years.


Athletic use

Consumers were impressed with the styling, comfort, and support the shoe provided for working out. The Freestyle's athletic use spread to walking,
bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
, dance, and
cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...
.
Ms. Olympia The IFBB Ms. Olympia is both the highest ranking professional female bodybuilding competition and the title of the winner of the competition. It was first organized in 1980, and was held as part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance ...
Cory Everson Corinna "Cory" Everson (née Kneuer; born January 4, 1958) is an American female bodybuilding champion and actress. Everson won the Ms. Olympia contest six years in a row from 1984 to 1989. Education Corinna Kneuer was born in Racine, Wisconsin ...
wore Freestyle high-tops frequently in competition, working out, and on
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's BodyShaping program.
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 ...
sponsored the Los Angeles Laker Girls in the late 1980s and supplied them with white Freestyle high-tops. Since then, other professional cheerleading and dance teams have used Freestyles. High school and college cheerleading teams have used Freestyles as their shoe of choice. It is also used in competitive aerobics.


Casual wear

Outside the gym, the Freestyle became popular casual wear. Women could wear Freestyles with jeans, shorts, capri pants, sweatpants, tights or leggings, and even as commuter shoes to work. In the 1980s, Freestyles were often seen with flop or slouch socks which were usually stretched over the bottom of the pant leg to help highlight the shoe.


Styles

After the Freestyle's initial debut, Reebok released various collaborations and special edition styles of the shoe. The Freestyle had several special editions released in the 1980s including the Rainbow Suede version. The Freestyle celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special collection of six limited-edition shoes that debuted at a
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
exclusive event in March 2007. The
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 ...
sponsored event called "Freestyle Forever" included celebrity guests such as
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...
,
Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film '' Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...
, and Tara Reid and highlighted moments in past and present Freestyle history. In 2008, Reebok introduced a Freestyle collaboration with the French boutique
Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
and American women's wear company, Married to the Mob. The Reebok Freestyle - Wonder Woman was released in 2009 and had design features such as a red metallic upper with a star-spangled back tab that mimicked the costume of comic book character Diana Prince, aka
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...
, and the lace-stay looked similar to the tiara of the superhero while the two gold metallic straps that closely resembled her bracelets.
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 ...
teamed up with Reebok in 2012 for a collection of different shoes including high-top Freestyles and Freestyle Double Bubble along with Classic Nylon Slim and Princess sneakers. Reebok introduced collaborations with Takahiro Miyashita and the Sand.W.Man project in 2014 for the Reebok Freestyle high-top and the Reebok Ex-o-Fit released in a signature monochromatic, sandy style look. In 2018, the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
original series " GLOW" and Reebok Classics teamed up to create two new Freestyle Hi designs to be worn by characters on the show. Costume designer Beth Morgan shared how the partnership came together: "I reached out to Reebok about product placement since we used the shoes so often in the show to see if they had any reproductions of the authentic shoes. Through those conversations, I said it would be awesome to design shoes that were authentic to the period, and they were all on board... The whole idea behind the collaboration is that the product would be in the show, and we could sell them to our fans after we air."


In popular culture

; Film * In " Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)",
Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
wore high-top red, white, and yellow pairs. * In " Return of the Killer Tomatoes", Karen M. Waldron wore a white, high-top pair through half of the movie. * In "
Frankie and Johnny (1991 film) ''Frankie and Johnny'' is a 1991 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in their first film together since '' Scarface'' (1983). Héctor Elizondo, Nathan Lane, and Kate Nellig ...
",
Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...
wore a white, high-top pair playing a waitress. The shoes can seen on movie posters. * In " Masterminds (2016 film)", Kristin Wiig wore a white, high-top pair as part of her 1990s era costume. * In "
The Bad Batch (film) ''The Bad Batch'' is a 2016 American dystopian thriller film directed and written by Ana Lily Amirpour. The film is about a young woman (Suki Waterhouse) exiled to a desert where she is attacked by a group of cannibals (led by Jason Momoa), bar ...
", Suki Waterhouse wore a white, high-top pair with a prosthetic leg throughout most of the movie. * In "
Chick Fight ''Chick Fight'' is a 2020 American action comedy film directed by Paul Leyden from a screenplay by Joseph Downey. It stars Malin Åkerman, Bella Thorne, Dulcé Sloan, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Nash, Alec Mapa, Dominique Jackson, Fortune Feimster ...
", Malin Åkerman wore a white, high-top pair throughout most of the movie. ; Music * Rolling Stones front-man
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
wore a pair of Freestyles in his "
Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...
" video with
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
in 1985. * French Singer
Yelle Yelle is a French band founded by lead singer and namesake Yelle (Julie Budet) and GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier). A third member, Tepr (Tanguy Destable), joined the band before the recording of their debut album. Yelle and GrandMarnier b ...
(Julie Budet) wore various colored high-top Freestyles on stage during her concerts. At a 2008 Reebok Freestyle World Tour Collection event, she promoted a special Freestyle Paris edition, which was part of a six fashion-forward city collection. * English Singer
Perrie Edwards Perrie Louise Edwards (born 10 July 1993) is an English singer. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of the British girl group Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums ...
wore a white, high-top pair while performing with
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British v ...
on the set of
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...
on June 7, 2013. * Canadian Singer
Kiesza Kiesa Rae Ellestad (born January 16, 1989), known professionally as Kiesza ( ), is a Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist from Calgary. In 2017, she was involved in a car accident in Toronto, suffering severe injuries that required her to ...
has also been photographed wearing various Freestyle shoes, both casually and in her music video for her single "Hideaway." * Rapper, Singer, and Model Iggy Azalea wore white Freestyle high-tops and her back-up singers wore black high-top pairs while performing " Fancy (Iggy Azalea song)" and " Beg for It (song)" at the 2014
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...
. The shoes were paired with retro gym outfits and scrunched down socks. * Singer
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular ...
wore a pair of white high-tops to match her 1980s inspired workout outfit in the Girl like Me (Black Eyed Peas and Shakira song) video, which was released on December 4, 2020. * Flo Rider "LOW" has one of the most classic references to the Reebok Freestyle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_(Flo_Rida_song) ; Slang * The slang name for the shoes was a "fifty-four elevens" because the retail price for a pair was usually $49.99 and with tax, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, they cost $54.11. ; Television * In 1985, actress
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...
wore a bright orange high-top pair of Reebok Freestyles, with a black strapless gown, at the 1985
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
. * In 1986, actress Whoopi Goldberg wore a white high-top pair at the 43rd annual
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
. * Soleil Moon Frye wore two different colored shoes in combination, like white and black or red and yellow, as the title character of the " Punky Brewster" television series, which popularized this style. * In "
The Middle (TV series) ''The Middle'' (stylized as ''the middle.'') is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 30, 2009, to May 22, 2018. The series, set in Indiana, follows a lower middle class family living and facing the day-to-day struggles ...
", Sue Heck (
Eden Sher Eden Rebecca Sher (born December 26, 1991) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Sue Heck from the family sitcom series '' The Middle'' (2009–2018) and as Star Butterfly from the Disney Channel animated fantasy dramedy series ' ...
) wore various colors of Reebok Freestyle high-tops throughout the entire 2009 to 2018 run of the series. *In
The Goldbergs (2013 TV series) ''The Goldbergs'' is an American period sitcom television series that premiered on ABC on September 24, 2013. The series was created by Adam F. Goldberg and stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, and Hayley Orrantia. The s ...
, Beverly Goldberg ( Wendi McLendon-Covey) regularly wore various high-top pairs through the series. * In the 2020 Netflix miniseries "
The Haunting of Bly Manor ''The Haunting of Bly Manor'' is an American gothic romance drama streaming television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan, and released on October 9, 2020 by Netflix. The second entry in Flanagan's '' The Haunting'' anthology series, it mostly ...
", Dani Clayton ( Victoria Pedretti) wore a white, high-top pair in eight of the nine episodes. * In the second season of
La Brea (TV series) ''La Brea'' is an American science fiction drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 28, 2021. The series, produced by Keshet Studios and Universal Television, is created and executive produced by David Appelbaum. The series re ...
, Riley Valez ( Veronica St. Clair) wore a white, high-top pair.


See also

*
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacture ...
*
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 ...
* Reebok Classics *
1980s in fashion 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 relat ...


References


External links

*
Charlie's Sneaker Pages "Memories - Reebok Freestyle"

''It's The Shoes'' episode with the "Reebok Freestyle 5411" on YouTube

Sneakers & Buffalos

Vintage leather boots and Reebok Freestyle collection on Flickr

Used Reebok Freestyle collection on Flickr
{{Reebok Freestyle, Reebok Products introduced in 1982 1980s fashion