Given the Swoosh’s ubiquity in contemporary American culture—both in the the sneaker

community and popular culture at large—it may be hard to believe. But, in the 1980s, it was
neither Nike nor adidas that controlled the plurality of the American market. Rather, the sneaker
world took cues from a sneaker company that few would—today—consider to be a “sneaker war”
titan: Reebok. Over the years, Reebok’s history has been one of astronomical ascents and
colossal collapses; the brand has been both the preeminent athletic footwear manufacturer and
the perennial afterthought, often swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other in the span
of a few years.

Reebok was founded in England, in 1958, by a pair of brothers, Joe and Jeff Foster, to carry on a
family tradition of making athletic footwear. Their grandfather, Joseph William Foster, had
launched an eponymous company, J.W. Foster, in 1895 and developed one of the very first track
spikes. 

After initially struggling to copyright the name “Mercury”, the brothers turned to the Grey Rhebok,
a species of African Antelope, which inspired the brand name. Reebok continued to produce
running spikes throughout the ’60s and ’70s, with the company’s base remaining in England. In
1979, Reebok was exhibiting at the Chicago International Sneaker Trade Show, when Paul
Fireman, an American outdoors gear wholesaler, discovered the brand; Fireman acquired the
exclusive rights to Reebok in North America. 

Initially, Fireman’s investment seemed like a modest success, with Reebok selling for roughly
$1.5 million in 1981. By the end of the decade, it would become an investment that would reap
legendary rewards.

It was during the 1980s that people took a genuine interest in staying (or getting) in shape. It was
the decade that gave us aerobics and saw a new emphasis on sports like tennis—which blended
physical activity with a sociocultural lifestyle. In that context, Reebok thrived. The company
expanded from running spikes, offering a range of casual athletic footwear designed for amateur
athletes and fitness aficionados. Reebok’s initial explosive growth came from the women’s
aerobics market when the brand introduced the Freestyle—a gamble at the time that Fireman
was talked into by his West Coast sales rep, who had seen first-hand how passionate his wife
was about aerobics.

In 1984, a mere five years after acquiring the North American license, Fireman took another risk
that would help cement Reebok’s dominant status in the latter part of the decade when he
bought out the British parent company. While Fireman’s previous rights to Reebok afforded him
creative input, taking sole ownership of Reebok would allow the brand to capitalize on the
decade’s fitness revolution. Nike and adidas were jostling for position in the men’s market, but
had largely overlooked the women’s segment, which had facilitated Reebok’s continued success
after the Freestyle. Using that momentum—and the revenue that aerobics brought—Reebok
made a concerted push in the men’s market, pushing silhouettes like the Workout, Newport
Classic and the Revenge Plus—which would later become the Club Classic 85. They were
country club-ready sneakers that could be worn on and off the tennis court or outside the gym. 

The emphasis Reebok placed on its footwear being fashionable outside fitness resonated with
consumers: By 1986, Reebok was the foremost athletic footwear brand in North America. It
certainly helped that, one of that year’s biggest films—Aliens—had its main character kicking ass
in an abstract concept shoe, now known as the “Alien Stomper”. In 1987, Reebok’s sales totalled
$1.4 billion—a thousand times what Fireman first generated in 1981. By 1988, that number had
grown to $1.8 billion, with Reebok controlling 26.7 percent of the athletic footwear market and
besting Nike’s $1.2 billion in revenue.