WHAM! Bam, Katharine Ham’ (Katharine Hamnett 1986)

He introduced himself as Lionel and he worked for Katharine Hamnett, ‘Okay’ I was a bit lost, but as we continued to talk, I began to realise what he was talking about. ‘Andrew and George’ said we were the people to talk to. I agreed he could come up to the factory and discuss what he wanted. It was only after I put the phone down did it dawn on me that Andrew and George were WHAM! (yes, that WHAM!).

Lesson learnt (April to May 1985)!

Work on what was to become the LX8500 and GL6000 began in April ’85 and was a combined plan to create a new $100 running shoe that was to be a SUPER Leather Classic running shoe and a premium stability shoe to sit above Phase1 and replace City in Europe.

Not at first Sight!

‘Yeah Reebok, Aerobics’, ‘you got lucky there!’ or ‘that was easy’. Until, Denise Austin landed a slot on American Breakfast TV and finished her routine with the immortal line; “You can do this in the studio or at home” “bare feet or a pair of shoes like these!” She held her foot up to her beaming face and there was that Union Flag and the word REEBOK we had just been beamed into every home in America.