This dedicated company made thin leather shoes constructed of rigid leather to be worn By Lord Burghley in the 1924 Olympics.
A young and dedicated runner, he founded the company known as J.W Foster Company & Sons in 1939, produced custom-made cross-country spikes for a majority of England’s top runners.
Before long, Foster was building shoes for England’s elite runners, including Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell of Academy Award-winning Chariots of Fire fame.
In 1958, the grandson of Foster, Jeffrey and Joseph, left their grandfather’s business and conceived Reebok. The company’s name originated from a Dutch word that refers to a type of antelope or gazelle.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, reebok remained a medium sized sports shoes company acting on a national level with an annual sales volume of USD 1.5 million.
In 1979, American Paul Fireman negotiated the license for North American distribution; three years later Reebok came out with Freestyle, a women’s athletic shoe, to satisfy the fitness craze. It was developed to be worn in or out of the gym.
The Reebok USA soon evolved into a global player with Paul Fireman as CEO.
In 1985, Reebok USA acquired the British company Reebok and went public with its new name International.
Somewhere along the way Reebok had lost its voice. By the end of the 1990s, the traditionally strong Reebok had fallen to third place behind both Nike and Adidas.
Over the years, the J.W. Foster Company formed close relationships with local English running clubs and an athlete, subsequently forming the foundation for what is now Reebok International.
In 2005, Reebok became a subsidiary to German group Adidas, making it the number two brand, with Nike as number one.
Business history of Reebok
