Reebok back? We’ve heard it before and for a moment it seemed so. Just years ago, a curated crop of well-timed retros saw Swizzy and Shaq cashing in on the high top craze, missed models from Shawn Kemp hitting a nerve with retro kids and Allen Iverson’s always iconic Question still feeling right at retail.<\/p>\n
While absence made the heart grow fonder on said signatures, over abundance eventually turned nostalgia to noise. In recent months, the Classics campaign re-branded by signing Kendrick Lamar, a move thought to be more about community and less about kicks, and the performance side of the Vector began to hone in even harder on CrossFit all while signing what seemed like a left-field deal with UFC.<\/p>\n
Though tire flips and mixed martial arts rarely resonate with the sneaker culture, they do find Reebok randomly right at home. Focusing on fitness and unlikely heroes, the CrossFit campaign sees Reebok returning to alternate athletics (think aerobics in the 80s only with the opposite attitude) while UFC athletes not only embody the intensity of CrossFit but also offer edgy endorsement ala AI.<\/p>\n
How do they tie this all together with the current consumer? The Pump. Never on schedule but always on time, the Pump technology has been a reoccurring catalyst for Reebok at retail. First launched in the 1980s with an emphasis on hoops, the ball branded innovation struck a rare balance between novelty and nuance, focusing on the fit of the upper in the most engaging of manners. It was a rare instance where Nike either bit or was beat to the punch, with Reebok delivering public blows via their “Pump Up, Air Out” advertisements. Over time, the tech would cross over to tennis, most notably on Michael Chang’s aptly named Court Victory Pump, eventually lending its services to running on the Pump Dual Runner and Insta Pump Fury.<\/p>\n