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. 

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.

European comeback (Super Show, Feb ’86).

Reebok was on a high, the biggest athletic brand in the USA, built on aerobics and men’s fitness two categories that hadn’t existed three years before and now dominated the American market. Our competitors Nike, number two in the USA and Adidas in Europe had not seen it coming and been dumbstruck by our growth.

Super Show (1978-79)

My dad had been going to the Super Show in Atlanta every year since 1965. He came home with these new shoes and said: “We need something like this, if we don’t have it, these guys are going to kill us!” Jeff did the designing and Joe picked the colours, inspired by the new Internationalist it would be blue with a yellow side stripe. By late ’78 the range of new ‘Nike killer’ shoes featuring the Roadstar, Waffle inspired square cut heel, rubber soled shoes were ready: Cordova, Starmaker, Midas Racer, Inca spike and the legendary Aztec trainer. They were in Joe’s bag as he headed back to the Super Show at the beginning of 1979.