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.

My left foot

My first footwear design was to a brief from our UK distributor: I used the burgundy red suede that had previously bled over the first production Victory G and silver laterals went on a sample length of pretty close matching burgundy nylon. To my amazement they pick that one, the left foot from the second pair. So Invincible was born!

Rats Urine (February 1983)

I began working for my dad shortly after my 17 birthday, February 1983. My dad seemed genuinely happy that I wanted to be part of Reebok, Paul Brown who I worked for there was great guy that had worked for Bata when they made Aztecs for Reebok and been convinced by dad to move north and work for this little shoe company.

The G’ men (1980-82)

“Joe, we need a road shoe made from Gore-Tex!” back in the UK my dad set to work and put together the world’s first Gore-Tex running shoe, The Victory G: Self-styled ‘The most advanced foul weather running shoe ever built’!