The football heritage of Reebok

In the wide panorama of sports brands that provide technical material to soccer teams, from match uniforms to representation clothes, another company that up to the early 2000s was a major player in the international football world is ready to join. We are talking about Reebok, which would be ready to return to the charge on the green lawns after having abandoned them following the acquisition of the brand by adidas. The English brand founded in Bolton by the Foster Brothers in 1958, was in fact purchased by the German company in 2006 for 3.8 billion, however, gradually revealed over the years, a brand unprofitable enough to lead the multinational to make it disappear from the green rectangle of soccer focusing on other sports, all running, CrossFit and martial arts. Then in 2021 came Authentic Brands Group, which made official the acquisition of Reebok by pouring $2.5 billion into adidas' coffers. 

The New York-based company owns a number of businesses in the media, wellness, luxury and outdoor industries, and with the British brand has solidified its ties to the sportswear landscape. "Reebok not only holds a special place in the minds and hearts of consumers around the world, but it also enjoys a broad global distribution," said ABG President and Founder Jamie Salter. And just thanks to the relationship between the CEO of the American company and John Textor, majority shareholder of Botafogo football, Reebok would be close to the big comeback in soccer. The Brazilian club has in fact canceled the agreement with Volt Sport, the technical sponsor that would produce the uniforms for next season, focusing everything on the brand of Bolton for the production and creation of the new jerseys so as to take the field until the end of the season with a vintage jersey without the presence of any supplier. And in Brazil, the Foster Brothers' company has had several partnerships in its adventure in the game of football, such as those with Vasco da Gama, Sao Paulo and Internacional. But from the second half of the 90s to the early 2000s, Reebok has dressed many teams making iconic kits that have remained in the history of the sport. 

Giggs, the face of Reebok

The first great footballing face to link his name to Reebok was Ryan Giggs. The Welshman, who in the early '90s appeared for the first time on the big European stages, was the leading man of the English company throughout his career in Manchester United. Once the partnership was signed, Reebok launched a pair of soccer boots destined to make history: the Reebok SprintFit. A pair of boots, originally white with a red logo, that accompanied Giggs throughout his glorious and winning career in a Red Devils jersey.

Over the years, special editions were then created based on the results obtained by the Welshman. Like the Reebok Sprintfit Pro of 2008, customized with the embroidery "Moscow 2008 759" on the front tongue, on the occasion of the Champions League final of that year in which the boy also reached the record number of appearances with the Red Devils. Or even the Reebok RG800 entirely in gold color, released in 2010 to commemorate the 800th professional presence of the left-handed winger. Then in 2014, once he left the field to sit on the bench, Giggs instead decided to switch to Nike, also because Reebok in the meantime was disappearing from the soccer fields. 

Henry, Casillas and many others

But besides Ryan Giggs, Reebok managed to make many other champions of the soccer world wear its brand. From Jay-Jay Okocha to Andy Cole, from Dennis Bergkamp to Shevchenko and Casillas, with the latter also wearing gloves produced by the English company. But in 2006 the Foster brothers' company scored a real market coup, bringing Thierry Henry into their team, snatching him from Nike. Making one of the greatest talents of the time wear their shoes was a move aimed at relaunching the brand in soccer and finding a position of depth after a few years of difficulty. In 2009, Henry and Giggs, the two leading faces of Reebok, presented the new "Instante Pro" shoes, but despite these marketing attempts associated with two great champions, the brand could not flourish again. 

Henry, Giggs, Casillas and Shevchenko were also featured in the company's Play Responsibly campaign. In one of these commercials, which has as its setting a post-apocalyptic Barcelona, the Frenchman is seen knocking down buildings and sweeping away abandoned cars just by kicking a ball with his right hand. The former transalpine star was also the face, together with a very young Lewis Hamilton, to the Reebok ZIGTECH, the revolutionary training shoes that absorbed the impact with the ground thanks to a special foam sole. Iker Casillas was also the protagonist of an advertisement, in which he demonstrated the effectiveness of Reebok's goalkeeper gloves on which the ball stuck to make any kind of parade easy. 

Argentina, Chile, Liverpool and more

But in the course of its football experience Reebok has given football lovers some legendary uniforms that have remained in the hearts of fans. Like that of Argentina in the 2000-2001 season, an authentic heirloom worn by Batistuta, with the number and logo in the center and the classic Albicelesti colors but inserted in a new design for the Seleccion. Remaining in the panorama of national teams, Italy also recalls the English brand, this time, however, with a note of bitterness. It was the 1998 World Cup in France and the Azzurri made their debut with a 2-2 draw against a Reebok-branded Chile. On that occasion, a double goal by Marcelo Salas stopped Cesare Maldini's selection, but that Roja uniform had an incredible impact on the collective imagination of the fans. Obviously, red was the dominant colour, but the company's large logo stood out, reaching from the shoulders to the chest of the players. 

From 1996 to 2006, for ten years, the English brand was also the manufacturer of Liverpool's uniforms, creating clean and sober kits that were loved by the Reds' supporters. An interesting detail, however, was a sort of background present below the club's badge. Even Bolton, the team of the city of origin of the company, could not help but link its name to that of the brand so as to arrive in 1997 to name the home stadium "Reebok Stadium". Even in Italy there was a brief interlude linked to the company of the Foster Brothers, who made the game jerseys for Fiorentina and Cagliari. Historic purple uniform of the 1996-1997 season with which the team then won the Italian Super Cup with collar with the colors of Florence, Italy Cup patch the previous year and sponsor Sammontana. A true collector's item for lovers of the genre.