History

In 1890 in Holcombe Brook, a small village 6 miles from the town of Bolton, England, Joseph
William Foster was making a living producing regular shoes when he came up with the novel idea
of a spiked running shoe. After his ideas progressed considerably, he founded a company in
1895 together with his adult sons, named J.W. Foster and Sons.[3]

By 1924, Foster and Sons had established a reputation for manufacturing superior quality shoes,
and the company was given the chance to manufacture running shoes for athletes
representing Great Britain at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Among the runners performing in
Foster shoes were Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, gold medalists later immortalised in the
Oscar-winning motion picture Chariots of Fire.[3]

With this legacy of high-quality footwear construction in mind, two of Foster's grandchildren, Joe
and Jeff Foster founded Mercury Sports. In 1960, Joe and Jeff Foster renamed the
company Reebok in England, having discovered the name in a dictionary won in a race by Joe
Foster as a boy. The dictionary was a South African edition, hence the spelling.[2] The word
"reebok" means "roebuck" (n. a roe male deer) in Afrikaans.

In 1979, United States camping equipment distributor Paul B. Fireman saw a pair of Reeboks at
an international trade show and negotiated for the rights to sell them in North America, where
they did very well despite being pricier than competitors Nike, Adidas and Puma.

The Union Jack flag has been embroidered on various Reebok equipment as a mark of the
brands British origin,[4] and the Reebok Union Jack has been referred to as a brand icon.[5]

[edit]Sub Brands of Reebok

 Above The Rim (A.T.R)

 Weebok
 Reebok Classic
 Scarlett Hearts
 G-Unit Footwear
 I3

[edit]Freestyle and Ex-O-Fit success

Reebok surged in popularity in 1982 after the introduction of the Freestyle athletic shoe, which
was designed for women and came out when the aerobics craze started. Not only was the
Reebok Freestyle popular as athletic wear, but also as casual wear. As a result the Freestyle
became an icon of the 1980s fashion scene with hi-top versions (including two velcro straps at
the top) and colors, including white, black, red, yellow, and blue. Reebok continues to produce
the Freestyle as it is popular with cheerleading, aerobic dancing, thegym and consumers.

Following the Freestyle success, Reebok also introduced an athletic shoe for men, called the Ex-
O-Fit. Similar to the Freestyle, it came in low-top and high-top versions; however, unlike the
Freestyle high-top with two velcro closure straps, the Ex-O-Fit only had one strap. One of the
designers of this early footwear was the founder's son, David Foster.[2]

[edit]Human rights and production details

Welcome sign at Reebok headquarters

In the past, Reebok was associated with outsourcing through sweatshops, but today it claims it is
committed to human rights. In April 2004, Reebok's footwear division became the first company
to be accredited by the Fair Labor Association. In 2004, Reebok also became a founding member
of the Fair Factories Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving worker
conditions across the apparel industry.

Supplier information, according to the Reebok website as of May 2007:

"Footwear Reebok uses footwear factories in 14 countries. Most factories making Reebok
footwear are based in Asia — primarily China (accounting for 51% of total footwear production),
Indonesia (21%), Vietnam (17%) and Thailand (7%). Production is consolidated, with 88% of
Reebok footwear manufactured in 11 factories, employing over 75,000 workers.

"Apparel Reebok has factories in 45 countries. The process of purchasing products from
suppliers is organized by region. Most (52%) of Reebok's apparel sold in the United States is
produced in Asia, with the rest coming from countries in the Caribbean, North America, Africa and
the Middle East. Apparel sold in Europe is typically sourced from Asia and Europe. Apparel sold
in the Asia Pacific region is typically produced by Asian-based manufacturers.

[edit]List of Reebok Technology

  Reebok Pump
 E.R.S
 Hydromove
 ZigTech
 Hexalite
 PlayDry
 PlayWarm
 PlayShield
 3D Lite
 DMX
 DMX10
 DMX6
 DMX I-pack
 DMX Reflex
 DMX Shear
 DMX Plus
 EasyTone
 RunTone
 KineticFit(K.F.S)
 HexRide
 U-Form
 Hardlink
 Bead Away
 Griptonite
 SmoothFit

[edit]List of Reebok Equipment

 Vector O-Bat
 Premier III Goalie Stick
 STEP Reebok
 8K Helmet
 10K KFS Gloves
 8.0.8 O-Stick Hockey Stick