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History of Popular American Sports
Shoes Companies
Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) started with sports shoes (usually known as sneakers) and now produces equipment for almost every sport, as well as clothing, school supplies, and other products. In July of 2003, they acquired Converse.The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The popular Swoosh logo is a graphic design created by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35. The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess.Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. Converse is an American shoe company that has been selling shoes since the early 20th century. Marquis M Converse opened the business in Massachusetts in 1908 as a rubber shoe manufacturer. Its main turning point came in 1917 when the canvas All Star was introduced. Then in 1918, a basketball player named Charles "Chuck" H. Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet. Converse gave him a job. His work as a salesman and ambassador, promoting the shoes around the USA so impressed Converse that in 1923, Chuck Taylor's name began appearing on the ankle patch, and the shoes became affectionately known as Chucks. He tirelessly continued this work until shortly before his death in 1969. For decades, Chucks only came in black or white, but under pressure from basketball teams it was decided in 1966 to manufacture many different colors. Different materials started to appear also, such as leather, suede and vinyl, rather than just canvas. Converse's line of shoes also include Jack Purcell and Heritage. Wildly popular during the 1970s and early 1980s, Converse lost some of its popularity and apparent monopoly during the middle 1980s and much of the 1990s, with the surge of new competitors such as Nike, who introduced radical new designs to the market. Converse found themselves to be no longer the official shoe of the National Basketball Association, a title they had enjoyed for many, many years. This loss of market share, combined with poor business decisions forced Converse to file for bankruptcy in 2001. When the company subsequently changed hands that year, the last factory in the United States was closed, therefore manufacturing for the American market is no longer performed in the USA, but instead in a number of Asian countries, namely China, Indonesia and Vietnam. In July, 2003 the company accepted a $305 million purchase offer from rival Nike. Despite the major setbacks for Converse in recent times, the Converse All Star Chuck Taylor is the most successful shoe in history. By the turn of the 21st century, over 600 million pairs have been sold worldwide. Reebok International Limited (NYSE: RBK) is a Fortune 500 company and producer of athletic apparel named for named for a type of African gazelle. Reebok's early beginnings date back to the 1890's under a United Kingdom company called J.W. Foster and Sons which made running shoes. The family-owned business proudly made the running shoes worn in the 1924 Summer Games by the athletes celebrated in the film Chariots of Fire. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons started a companion company that came to be known as Reebok. In 1979, Paul Fireman, a partner in an outdoor sporting goods distributorship, spotted Reebok shoes at an international trade show. He negotiated for the North American distribution license and introduced three running shoes in the United States that year. At $60, they were the most expensive running shoes on the market. Reebok surged in popularity in 1982 after the introduction of the Freestyle athletic shoe, which was specifically designed for women and came out when the aerobics fitness craze started. Not only was the Freestyle popular as athletic wear, but also on the streets as casual wear because of its comfort and sexy styling. As a result the Freestyle became an icon of the 1980's fashion scene with hitop versions (including two velcro straps at the top) and colors including white, black, red, yellow, and blue. Reebok continues to produce the Freestyle to this day as it is popular with cheerleading, aerobic dancing, the gym, and dedicated consumers. Following the heals of the Freestyle success, Reebok also introduced a popular athletic shoe for men the called the Ex-O-Fit. Similar to the Freestyle, it came in low-top and hitop versions; however, unlike the Freestyle hitop with two velcro closure straps, the Ex-O-Fit only had one strap. In the past, Reebok had an association with sweatshops, but today it is firmly committed to human rights. In April 2004, Reebok's footwear division became the first company to be accredited by the Fair Labor Association. The company holds exclusive rights to manufacture and market both authentic and replica uniform jerseys and sideline apparel of the teams of the National Football League since 2002, the National Basketball Association since 2004, the Canadian Football League since 2004, and the National Hockey League (through the purchase of The Hockey Company in the spring of 2004), and is the official shoe supplier to the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. Reebok was also a major sponsor of tennis star Andy Roddick, but ended their 12 year relationship in April 2005. Reebok continues to endorse Venus Williams. The company includes such brands as Rockport, Ralph Lauren RLX shoes, CCM, Koho, Jofa, and Rbk equipment and apparel, and Reebok Classic, G-UNIT, S. Carter street lifestyle shoes and apparel. It maintains its relationship with its origins in England through a long-term sponsorship deal with Bolton Wanderers, a Premiership football club. When the team moved to a brand new ground in the late 1990s, their new home was named the Reebok Stadium. Another English Premiership club, Manchester City, signed a near £5m four-year kit deal with Reebok in 2003. |
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