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Reebok INTRODUCTION OF THE FIRM History Reebok started in 1979 by Paul B. Fireman. Fireman was first interested in Reebok when he saw some British athletic shoes that were made by Reebok International, the European company. The first British company was started in the 1890s in England producing world-class athletic shoes. The head of the original company was Joseph William Foster, and in 1958 his two grandsons founded Reebok, which was named after African gazelles (Hast, 1988). Fireman decided to get a business license, and soon he started Reebok in the United States (Hast, 1988). When Fireman got the right to sell shoes, he sold them for $60 a pair, which at the time was the most expensive shoe on the market. After only two years, things starting looking down for this company. The competition in the US was making it difficult for Reebok to be successful. They had to work hard to keep up with Nike and Converse. Shortly after their downturn they developed a new strategy. They were going to make a shoe that was appealing both in color and style. In the 80¡¦s aerobics was becoming popular so Reebok designed aerobic shoes in all colors of the rainbow to appeal mainly to women. The strategy worked and soon thing