Sorry to all the parents! (’92-’93)

I have to apologise at this point to all the parents of teenage boys in the late 1990’s who were forced under pester power, to spend £200 on a pair of Rockport XCS Umbwe so ‘Little Johnny’ would look cool at school.

Fell shoes ’84 – ’88

Reebok had a long and distinguished history in fell shoes as well as orienteering. It had been a mainstay of the UK factory throughout the 60’s and 70’s accounting for over half the shoes that where made in Bright Street, Bury. As Reebok had grown in the USA, attention had shifted more and more to road running and track shoes, then aerobics, tennis etc.

Let’s go racing! (Benetton Formula One ’86-’88)

In 1985 the Benetton family bought the Toleman formula one team and renamed it and painted the cars green. This brought with it the opportunity for us to kit their team out in Reebok.

GUS and I, in the City ‘86

I came up with City ’86. I had a limited budget, but we could spend a little on new pattern work. I kept the back half of City, same counter foxing, heel tab and side stripe. New toe cap/ foxing with side support bars, close to the Classic Leather. Three piece facing to replace City’s expensive one piece affair. This echoed the GL6000’s shadow effect wrap around throat.

Wade-Smith (Summer ‘86)

Wade Smith was owned and run by Robert Wade-Smith assisted by a young guy by the name of Chris Lee. Ironically, Chris would leave Wade-Smith in 1999 to be the Creative Director of Product at Reebok for two years. Wade-Smith was a small store in ’86 but was a mecca for trainer nuts, especially Adidas City Series, Gazelle, Trimtab etc. For us to be accepted into this inner sanctum was an honour, even if we didn’t realise at the time.

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!).

‘Guida come un Italiano!’ (Feb-October 85)

‘Calzaturificio Di Varese’ or shoemakers of Varese who had been bought by mega brand of the ’80’s Benetton. Their vision of Reebok was athletic fashion and the plan was to take Italy with colour.

SIZZLIN’ HOT REEBOK (September ’84)

We were inundated with enquires from around the world, we were on fire, Reebok was Sizzlin’ Hot.

Cologne, London, Paris!

Records began to fall when Sydney Maree broke the 1500 metre World Record in a pair of what was to be named Cologne after that race (August 1983 3:31.24). These shoes where preproduction examples hand made by yours truly.

Into the City! (March 1984)

City was to be our most modern trainer. Bob Johnson had returned as Factory Manager and he convinced my Dad we had to have a Strobel sewing machine in order to make the sock lasted shoes like our competition. This was an evil machine with a needle that shot out straight at the user.