Reebok PUMP Pformation To Return To The Style Of The Year Is Worth Looking Forward To

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the "golden age" has become a thing of the past.

In 2006, Adidas bought the company and also replaced Reebok's NBA sponsor status.

In 2010, Nike took the franchise of Reebok Football League.

Shaque ONeil, the most important spokesman for Reebok, is now a "All Star" on social media. (2011, O'neal announced his retirement on Twitter). NBA

However, in the depths of Reebok's spectacular headquarters in the heavily blocked snowy southern Boston, there is also a priceless treasure - inflatable sneakers.

This sophisticated technology, including strict legal work, makes it impossible for other sports brands, including Nike, to completely crack down.

Reebok sells their first double inflatable.

26 years ago.

Today, it once again inflatable sports shoes Pump as a strategic basis for reversing long-term weakness.

In the morning of March 4th, Reebok launched its new running shoes, which had seamless net shoe upper and light sole, which did not look bad with other products on the market.

The difference is that Reebok said that the inflatable air cushion used a new technology, production costs will be lower than the original Pump sneakers.

Reebok's move seems to have signed another NBA star, but the "Star" is a bit old.

For example, just ask a 35 to 40 year old American man how to evaluate Reebok Pump. You probably heard the feedback. "When I first appeared, I was only 12 years old. At that time, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, and even Air Jordon was no match for Pump."

Jordan Geller is a professional collector, and owns an exhibition hall called ShoeZeum in Las Vegas, which displays all kinds of mouth watering.

。

He said: "this is the only time Reebok has completely defeated Nike."

Product innovation, corporate strategy and popular culture have greatly promoted the popularity of Pump.

At that time, the technology of using air cushion to protect foot and ankle was revolutionary, comparable to the car's airbag.

Paul Litchfield, vice president of Reebok advanced concept and Pump sports shoes project manager, introduces the idea of ski boots and inflatable splint design.

The air cushion was produced in a medical equipment factory in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

"At that time, basketball was in the ascendant, so we focused on developing products that could further meet the needs of athletes."

Litchfield said, "we have all kinds of things such as fixed belts, adaptable systems and hinges, but the idea of air cushion is the top priority."

After finding this opportunity, Reebok set a $170 price tag for its new product, almost two times the price of other basketball shoes at that time.

However, high prices still bring about sales growth.

Geller believes that this concept has brought new progress, rather than a temporary gimmick.

At that time, because of Michael Jordan's activity, basketball was still at its height.

In 1988, Jordan won his first NBA most valuable player award and won the second time in the slam dunk contest.

However, three years later, Reebok's player Di Brown defeated Jordan in the slam dunk contest.

Brown inflated his sneakers before each dunk, causing a frenzy among the audience.

"The players welcome this idea," Litchfield said. "The market activity was very dense at the time, and every victory was significant, especially the big win."

In the 18 months after the launch, Reebok sold 4 million pairs of Pump shoes and set a $500 million sales boom.

At that time, the company's total annual revenue was less than 3 billion dollars.

Soon, Reebok began to copy this successful mode and apply air cushion to other sports shoes, including golf, baseball and tennis.

However, this did not prevent Nike's expansion.

In 1990, when Jordan and the Chicago bulls started their three consecutive kings, Nike surpassed Reebok in terms of revenue.

Soon after, Nike also introduced inflatable sneakers.

At this time, Reebok shifted its development focus from ball games.

They bought some seemingly hopeless companies, including Rockport and Boston Whaler.

In 1991, Paul Duncan, the chief financial officer of Reebok, said that the key point of the company was not to beat Nike.

"We do not consider ourselves a sports shoe company."

Duncan said, "we are a market company. We run brands."

Nike easily won the market. By the time Reebok was bought by Adidas in 2006, Nike had reached 6 times the size of its former rival.

Geller pointed out: "Reebok didn't catch up.

They didn't sign up for the stars, nor did they produce any cool shoes.

"

However, Pump has never disappeared, but on the court, they are gradually replaced by lighter and more fashionable sneakers.

Today, most of Reebok's inflatable sneakers are modelled on decades old fashions.

Reebok still keeps forging ahead twenty years ago, even though their ambitions seem even more boring.

They re positioned themselves as a fitness brand for shoes, and locked up cooperation with Spartan Race, CrossFit aerobics and free boxing competition UFC martial arts.

The March 4th running shoes meant that Reebok began to apply new air cushions to these sports.

It also means that a series of similar products will soon meet with consumers, especially the sports shoes with inflatable adjustable air cushions on the sole.

Litchfield believes that this intelligent and adjustable soles will be the favourite pet in the sports shoes market.

"So we have made some improvements."

He said mysteriously.

These fine-tuning may give Reebok the chance to reappear the consumption boom in 1989.

Despite the fact that Massa Chusetts, who has been snapped up by snow, has blown the new technology into a great hype, Reebok's market team still has to consider: can Pump really kill the siege again? Litchfield