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.

Reebok House (’87)

The hunt was on for a new home for Reebok just three years after moving the office and factory back together in Bradley Fold, we had outgrown the space and had to move.

The Four Minute Mile (film ‘87)

Chris Brasher had been the hare for Roger and Chris Chataway when the record was broken on My 6 1954 at Iffley road trach in Oxford in a world record time of 3minutes 59.4 second. All of this is racing legend, but less well known is the race between Bannister and Australian John Landy to be the first man to cross the barrier.

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.

Around the World in 30days (1985)

For fans of Douglas Adams who will be aware of his book ‘The restaurant at the end of the Galaxy’ I can only describe Anchorage as ‘The airport at the end of the Galaxy!’ A long glass corridor with gates at each side the airport was miles from Anchorage and sat in the middle of raised taxiways which had deep pits surrounding them. I decided to explore and headed off to the far end past display cases of stuffed Moose, stuffed Bears, stuffed wolves in fact every type of fauna in Alaska including a family of Inuit on a sledge pulled by stuffed dogs. Bizarre!

‘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.

Reebok UK (July 1984)

In July 1984 Reebok appointed a new distributor, Fleetfoot Ltd. Owned by Chris Brasher and John Disley.

Coming to America (October 1983)

Holiday of a lifetime, that was how it was billed. The furthest I’d ever been on a plane was Spain, that’s just two hours and I was off to America! A holiday in California, Disneyland, Universal Studios! New York, the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, but, “first we’re going to Boston.”

We got a new GTI (July – August 1983).

The all new (in 1983) Victory GTi, standing for Gore-Tex Inner, or Interlining, was a big step forward from the earlier G model. Charcoal Pig suede, which had earlier that year graced the USA GL1600

Underpants! (June 1983)

In 1981 the 140-142 Bolton Road offices were compulsory purchased and the international office moved to 21 Market Street, Tottington above the Skipton Building Society, here 5 people shared two rooms, it was more than a little cramped! So, the search started for a more permanent home. By the beginning of 1983, the downturn in