Spitfires and Hurricanes (81-84)

Not only could Pentland provide the financial backing Fireman needed but also, they had offices in Hongkong and Pusan, Korea the home of HS corporation and their factory. To head his development Paul recruited Steve Liggett, who would spend much of the next five years flying to and from Pusan where he stayed for months on end.

Orient express (77-83)

Reebok had struggled through the mid 70’s to fight increases in cost, inflation in the UK was running at over 10% and industrial relations between corporations and unions was at rock bottom. Every year Reebok’s prices went up while their competitions didn’t.  It was at the super show that salvation from this ever-increasing spiral was found. 

COUGAR! Road training legend (1976 -78).

Before the Aztec, Reebok was already a well-established Road training brand in the UK, Europe and USA, the shoe that had established that reputation was Cougar, a tough yet light Road shoe that had gone through many modifications through the 1970’s. 

Marathon and Cougar (1972 to 1973)

Enter the Cougar, a new shoe for Reebok making use of new materials that had just become available and it addressed the needs of the modern runner.

1970’s evolving a look.

So that’s it how Reebok’s trademarked ‘Vector’ logo developed, not quite! In ’76 yet another legal challenge, this time from PUMA, claiming the new side stripe infringed their side logo!

The Shoe that saved Nike®!

Adidas and Nike could no longer sit it out, they had waved off Aerobics as a fitness fad that would fade, colourful women’s shoes were athleisure and took market from KEDS and Converse, it wasn’t a serious market, they reasoned.  Fitness hit them hard, double digit falls in sales and rising inventory of their long-term best sellers, filled up warehouses and soaked up cash faster than they could turn off the tap, they were both in trouble.

It’s a Classic!

Looking back on the history of Reebok and the evolvement of the company into a worldwide force.  This was one of the key times that resulted in a range of product that would define Reebok for the next decade:

In Search of colour (2004 to 2022).

I look at Frostline™ as Grubs® equivalent to the freestyle high-top.  I often think about colour matching those wool samples  from Benetton® to get the Leather and EVA to match 35 years ago, when I am matching Rubber and nylon swatches for the next season.  We pick our colours from the same colour matching service Reebok® used after the Benetton® days.  Grubs® has a young colourful fun boot for active women in the outdoors, just like Reebok had her in the studio. Funny how the world turns in circles!

Turn your mind to Safety

2 years work, job done? No way!  When we tested these boots to be waterproof especially to Australian standards, they simply flew off the machine like a balloon. 

Two brands are better than one (2002-2010)

Jan and I revisited the two brand strategy ourselves, not fans of long-winded names we launched GRUBS® and positioned the brand in the higher end sporting market from £90-£150.  I approached Vibram® who had just begun making their outsoles in a third-party factory in China.  They only had one sole called ‘multi-sport’ which had a Moulded EVA midsole and rubber outsole, we chose this to create the worlds first rubber boot with a Vibram sole.