Reebok Classic

Reebok Classic

Product type	Footwear
Owner	Reebok
Country	United States
Introduced	1983; 42 years ago (1983)
Markets	Worldwide

Reebok Classic is a lifestyle shoe brand that consists of athletic shoes that became popular casual wear.^[1][2] The brand evolved from the Classic Leather, the Workout, the Ex-O-Fit, the Newport Classic and the Freestyle.^[2] 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.^[3][4] The shoe popularized the aerobic exercise movement, encouraged women to participate in sports and began the acceptance of athletic footwear as street and casual wear.^[3] In 1983, Reebok launched the Classic Leather, a running shoe.^[5][6][7] 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.^[5] A print advertisement showing a couple on a motorcycle with the tag line "You've Arrived" was created for the shoe.^[6] That year, the Newport Classic (NPC) and Ex-O-Fit were launched.^[8][9] The Ex-O-Fit was similar to the Freestyle, but designed for men.^[6] In 1985, the Workout was launched as a cross-training shoe.^[6][10][11] The shoe's simple look made it popular as casual wear.^[6]

Retro Running

Reebok Classic established the Retro Running line to re-introduce popular shoe styles from the past.^[12] The GL 6000 was a lightweight running and training shoe created to provide maximum stability.^[12] The shoe was first released in 1986 and has been re-released to honor the shoe's history and illustrate its timeless appeal.^[12] In 1990, the Ventilator, a lightweight flexible running shoe, was launched.^[13][14] The Ventilator's versatility made the shoe popular.^[15] Reebok Classic re-released the Ventilator "Tonal Ballistic" and "Heritage" limited edition packs in 2014.^[13][15] The DMX Run was launched in 1997.^[16][17] The shoe debuted Reebok's DMX technology, a system in which air runs through connected pods and releases energy.^[17] DMX was later used in Allen Iverson's second shoe.^[16] Reebok Classic re-released the shoe for the first time in October 2012.^[18]

Retro Basketball

Two notable basketball players with Reebok Classics: (left) Shaquille O'Neal (with a pair of Shaq Attaq IV) and Allen Iverson (right, holding his Reebok Question signature shoe)

The Reebok Pump was introduced as a basketball shoe in 1989.^[19] It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism designed to provide a customized fit.^[20] Over a four-year period the shoe sold over 20 million pairs worldwide.^[20] In 1992, the Shaq Attaq was released during the NBA season.^[21] It was Shaquille O'Neal's first signature shoe and the first official shoe for a Reebok athlete.^[21] The shoe gained popularity because it was featured on basketball cards, video games, Pepsi commercials and movies.^[22] The retro version of the Shaq Attaq was released in April 2013.^[22] The Reebok Kamikaze, Shawn Kemp's signature line, was launched in 1995.^[23] That year, the Shaqnosis was launched.^[24] The shoe was worn by Will Smith in Men in Black.^[24] In 1996, the Reebok Question Mid, Allen Iverson's signature shoe, was launched.^[25] The shoe became popular because it was clean and wearable.^[25] Iverson's fan-base also attributed to the Reebok Question Mid's popularity.^[25]

InstaPump Fury

The InstaPump Fury was released in 1994.^[26] The shoe was lace-less and featured Reebok's pump technology, a reduced midsole, Hexalite cushioning and a fully synthetic upper.^[26] That year, Steven Tyler wore the shoe during a performance at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.^[27] The shoe was inducted into the Design Museum of London.^[28] It has received numerous re-releases and new colorways.^[28]

In pop culture

Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Travi$ Scott, Mike Skinner (musician) and Kid Ink have collaborated with Reebok Classic.^[29][30] Swizz Beatz, a hip-hop recording artist and producer, was the creative director of Reebok as of 2013.^[31]

References

1. Liv Siddall (September 22, 2014). "Reebok Classics". It's That Nice. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
2. Jonathan Poh (February 19, 2013). "An Interview with Ryan Cross of Reebok Classics". Hype Beast. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
3. "The history of Reebok". Football Shirt Culture. March 8, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
4. "Black History Fashion Trend: Reebok Freestyle Hi-Tops aka 54-11's". Fashion Bomb Daily. February 17, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
5. "Reebok 30th Anniversary Classic Leather". Hype Beast. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
6. Nick Engvall (October 4, 2013). "20 Sneakers That Have Lived Double Lives". Complex. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
7. Kaash Sethi (March 24, 2013). "Sneaker Sunday: 30 Years of Reebok Classic". MTV UK. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
8. "A Visual Compendium of Sneakers". August 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
9. "Reebok Newport Classic". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
10. "Reebok Workout Clean Henna/White". February 20, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
11. "Reebok Classics Workout Plus Gore-Tex Preview". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
12. "Reebok's Retro Runner Invasion". August 7, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
13. Spencer Lund (September 22, 2014). "Travi$ Scott, YG & French Montana Rock Reebok Ventilator "Tonal Ballistic"". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
14. Jack Archer. "These 1990-Inspired Reebok Shoes Are Actually Pretty Sweet". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
15. Brandon Richard (October 6, 2014). "Industrial Spaces Inspire New Reebok Ventilator Pack". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
16. Russ Bengtson (February 25, 2013). "10 Sneakers That Debuted Significant Technology". Complex Networks. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
17. "Reebok DMX Run 10 Summer 2013 Pack". June 10, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
18. Riley Jones (October 18, 2012). "The Reebok DMX Run is Back, Will You Take to the Track?". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
19. CY Ellis (November 8, 2013). "The History of Reebok in the Sneaker Industry". Hoopsvibe.
20. "Pump Up and Air Out! The History of Reebok Pump". November 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
21. "Everything You Need To Know: Reebok Shaq Attaq". Nice Kicks. April 18, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
22. Nick Engvall (April 18, 2013). "20 Things You Didn't Know About the Reebok Shaq Attaq". Complex. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
23. Brandon Elder (March 6, 2012). "The 25 Best Reebok Basketball Shoes of All Time". Complex. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
24. Nick DePaula (July 11, 2013). "Throwback Thursday // Will Smith Wears Reebok Shaqnosis In M.I.B." Sole Collector. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
25. Ian Stonebrook (May 25, 2012). "THE Past, Present & Future of the Reebok Question". Nice Kicks. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
26. Russ Bengston (March 18, 2013). "The 25 Best Sneakers of the Past 25 Years". Complex. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
27. "Why People Don't Get the Reebok Insta Pump Fury". Straatosphere. May 28, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
28. "The Oral History of the Reebok Instapump Fury with Designer Steven Smith". Sole Collector. February 5, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
29. Jeff Benjamin (June 11, 2013). "Reebok Exec on Sneaker Collabs With Jay-Z, Pharrell, Tyga & Alicia Keys". Fuse. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
30. Trent Clark (February 19, 2014). "Swizz Beatz, French Montana, Kid Ink's Reebok Classics Freestyle At Agenda Las Vegas 2014". Hip Hop Wired. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
31. Sam Lockhart (March 14, 2013). "A History of Celebrities as Brand Creative Directors". Complex. Retrieved November 25, 2014.