Step aerobics , also known as bench aerobics and step training , is a form of aerobic exercise that involves stepping on and off a small platform.
78-565: Reebok International Limited ( / ˈ r iː b ɒ k / ) is an American footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group . It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons , a sporting goods company which had been founded in 1895 in Bolton , Lancashire. From 1958 until 1986, the brand featured the flag of the United Kingdom in its logo to signify
156-423: A StairMaster , and needs no electricity to operate. Music for step aerobics should be medium tempo, typically 118 to 122 beats per minute (bpm). A rhythm of 126–128 bpm is sometimes used for advanced classes; Reebok defined 128 bpm as the "fastest permissible speed." The style of music should emphasize the beat, for instance a steady four on the floor rather than offbeat syncopation . Choreography requires that
234-483: A choice of heights: 10, 11 and 12 inches. Small weights held in the hands could also be used. Fitness instructor Kathy Smith first experienced the Williams/Miller prototype step aerobics program during its early days, thinking "This is the most cutting-edge workout I’ve ever seen." Miller and Williams formed a company called Bench Blast in late 1988, making wooden steps from 6 to 12 inches high. They began to sell
312-407: A company that was involved in the restructuring of struggling consumer brands (such as Bombay Company and Polaroid Corporation ). Salter invested US$ 250 million in the new venture, and the majority of the equity was sold to Leonard Green & Partners . Two of ABG's first major purchases were the clothing brands Silver Star and Tapout . In January 2011, Authentic Brands Group acquired rights to
390-484: A deal that allows them the rights to manufacture Canadian Football League (CFL) onfield jerseys, sideline gear and footwear; this deal ended in 2015. In Mexico, Reebok was kit provider of Chivas de Guadalajara before the team was taken over by parent company Adidas in 2011. Reebok shoes were featured as product placement advertising on the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare in the 1980s. Reebok product placement
468-635: A deal that closed in November 2021. ABG announced they would delay the IPO until 2023 or 2024. In April 2023, ABG made a binding offer to acquire Boardriders, Inc. for US$ 1.25 billion. Boardriders includes the Quiksilver , Billabong , Roxy, RVCA , DC Shoes , Element , Von Zipper and Honolua brands, as well as the retailer Surf Dive 'n Ski. In January 2024, Authentic Brands Group, which had bought Sports Illustrated for $ 110 million from Meredith in 2019, terminated
546-585: A deal to license and distribute the Reebok brand in the United States. The division became known as Reebok USA Ltd. That year, Fireman introduced three new shoes to the market at $ 60. By 1981, Reebok reached more than $ 1.5 million in sales. In 1982, Reebok debuted the Reebok Freestyle aerobics shoe, the first athletic shoe designed for women. The following year Reebok's sales were $ 13 million, and Fireman bought
624-535: A financial fraud of up to US$ 233 million . On the charge of alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations, Reebok India was booked and may face penal action. Twelve further arrests of employees and associates were made during the same period. As of July 2013, Prem and Bhagat were granted bail by the high court but remained imprisoned following their detainment in September 2012. One of Reebok's most prominent athletes, Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni ,
702-425: A good workout method for others. Working with Connie Collins Williams, Miller used prototypes made of plywood, and tried them out in an Atlanta Gold's Gym franchise, the location later called Sportslife. Working together, they developed 250 separate step-based movements. The program was aimed at men, the usual gym-goers at Gold's. These wooden prototype benches were very long: 24 by 2 feet (7.32 by 0.61 m), with
780-405: A hit of about €250 million to operating profit from costs to sell or spin-off the business. In July 2021, Adidas shortlisted bidders for the brand, the finalist companies being Wolverine World Wide and Authentic Brands Group on a joint deal, private equity companies Advent International , CVC , Cerberus Capital , and Sycamore Partners , with a deadline for August 2021. On August 12, 2021, it
858-448: A joint venture, Sports Illustrated Studios, for feature film and television projects. The joint venture would have a slate of several TV series and films per year. The first announced project was the Covers two-hour docuseries based on the magazine's cover stories. In August 2020, it was announced that Brooks Brothers was sold to ABG and Simon Property Group , the biggest mall operator in
SECTION 10
#1732851779688936-559: A line of G-Unit sneakers, as well as St. Louis-based rapper Nelly and Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari have become spokespersons for the company. Reebok also signed actress Scarlett Johansson and introduced her own line of clothing and footwear called Scarlett Hearts , part of the Rbk Lifestyle Collection . The company also produces shoes for Emporio Armani under the label EA7 . Other high-profile entertainment figures that have signed endorsement agreements with Reebok over
1014-590: A line of children's athletic shoes called Weeboks. It acquired Rockport for $ 118.5 million in 1986 and Avia for $ 180 million a year later. By mid-decade, Reebok's sales were about $ 1 billion, and it overtook Nike, Inc. as the largest athletic shoe manufacturer in the US before losing the top position in 1988. Reebok worked with fitness professional Gin Miller in the late 1980s to develop Step Reebok, based on Miller's wooden prototype step and her ideas for step aerobics . The Step
1092-453: A new long-term employment agreement with the Reebok board of directors. In 2016, Reebok announced it would move its global headquarters from Canton to Boston with intentions to lay off about 300 employess as part of the move. Reebok acquired official National Hockey League sponsor CCM in 2004. The company began manufacturing ice hockey equipment under the CCM and Reebok brands. It phased out
1170-463: A new step with angular nesting legs. They featured this new step in a moody industrial video led by Gin Miller, driven by live percussionists in a band. The video starts with a 1991 TV commercial showing a fit young couple running up the steps of the Guatemalan pyramid Tikal , intercut with scenes of people using the previous rounded step design in teal and purple. Then the Miller workout is performed on
1248-505: A partnership with the National Basketball League (NBL) as the official footwear partner for the 2022–23 season. Reebok was the uniform provider for Brazilian clubs Cruzeiro , Vasco , Internacional and São Paulo FC ; Argentine club Banfield ; Paraguayan club General Díaz , and Uruguayan club Peñarol . Reebok also sponsored several national teams such as Argentina , Chile , Colombia , and Paraguay . In November 2022,
1326-595: A successful re-release of many of its sneaker and apparel lines from the early/mid 1990s, in November 2019, Reebok announced that it was updating the 1992 vector logo along with the original "Reebok" script in Motter Tektura typeface and restoring both as the company's core brand identity, citing that consumers still identified with them rather than the red delta logo, although the delta would continue to be used on some fitness lines. In February 2021, Adidas announced plans to divest Reebok after analyzing options and expected
1404-645: A time could perform her leg-strengthening and aerobics movements on one bench. In 1988 when she heard about the Bench Blast project, she put together a video production company with Chris Williams, the owner of Four Seasons Health Spa in Glassboro , forming Step N Motion Videos. They produced their first step aerobics video in mid-1989, using wooden benches. Problems with the Bench Blast wooden benches included difficulty of storage, sideways instability, slippery upper surface when wet with sweat, dangerous sharp corners, and
1482-548: Is an American brand management company headquartered in New York City. Its holdings include various apparel, athletics, and entertainment brands, which it partners with other companies to license and merchandise . ABG owns more than 50 consumer brands, as well as the likeness rights or estates of celebrities, including Muhammad Ali , Elvis Presley , and Marilyn Monroe . The company was founded in 2010 by Jamie Salter , after he stepped down as CEO of Hilco Consumer Capital ,
1560-689: The 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris. In 1958, in Bolton, two of the founder's grandsons, Jeff and Joe Foster , formed a companion company "Reebok", having found the name in a dictionary won in a sprint race by Joe as a boy. The name is Afrikaans for the grey rhebok , a type of African antelope . In 1979, American businessman Paul Fireman took notice of Reebok at the Chicago NSGA (National Sporting Goods of America) Show. Fireman had previously been an executive with his family business Boston Camping, and negotiated
1638-878: The Aldo Group for North American operations. In June 2024, Hanesbrands announced plans to sell the Champion brand to Authentic Brands for $ 1.2 billion. Step aerobics Step aerobics was studied by physiologists in the 1980s, and in 1990 it swiftly grew in popularity in the U.S. as a style of health club exercise, largely because of promotion by Reebok of the Step Reebok device and associated exercise routines, prominently advocated by Gin Miller. Step aerobics attracted more men to group exercise classes. At its peak in 1995, there were 11.4 million people doing step aerobics. Today, step aerobics classes are carried by many health clubs. Exercise routines include weights held in
SECTION 20
#17328517796881716-725: The Grand Slam in the Six Nations Championship in that year, and the Tasman Makos in New Zealand's domestic competition, the Air New Zealand Cup . In 2006, Arsenal and France national team striker Thierry Henry signed a deal to join the "I Am What I Am" campaign on August 1, 2006. Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has also done "I Am What I Am" commercials. Andriy Shevchenko started his endorsement deal with
1794-525: The Philadelphia 76ers . Iverson collaborated with Reebok during his contract to create the second-longest running basketball shoe line in history, beginning with the Question shoe in 1996 and ending with Answer XIV. In 2010, the brand released Reebok Zig , an athletic footwear technology and collection of shoes featuring zigzag foam soles designed to push athletes forward. The Reebok Nano was released in 2011 as
1872-541: The Sports Illustrated magazine and digital properties under license for at least two years. On June 18, 2019, it was announced that rights to publish the Sports Illustrated editorial operations would be licensed to The Maven under a 10-year deal, with Ross Levinsohn as CEO. In August 2019, BlackRock became the largest shareholder in Authentic Brands. In May 2020, ABG and David Glasser's 101 Studios formed
1950-454: The University of Pittsburgh . Goss et al examined the popular HeavyHands hand weights fitness product combined with stepping exercises on the "Superstep" 12-inch (30.5 cm) fitness bench, comparing this combination to treadmill exercises and finding them equivalent. Goss followed this in 1988 with an evaluation of the energy expenditure of step aerobics combined with hand weights. At
2028-539: The CCM name on NHL authentic and replica jerseys, using the Reebok logo since 2005. CCM became Reebok-CCM Hockey in 2007. Reebok moved most of its hockey equipment lines to CCM after 2015. In 2017, Adidas sold CCM to a Canadian private equity firm, Birch Hill Equity Partners, for around $ 110 million . Following an intellectual property lawsuit in August 2005, Adidas acquired Reebok as a subsidiary, but maintained operations under their separate brand names. Adidas acquired all of
2106-503: The Club C. The company began expanding from tennis and aerobics shoes to running and basketball throughout the mid to late 1980s, the most significant segment of the athletic footwear industry. One of the company's most iconic technologies, the Reebok Pump , debuted in 1989 with more than 100 professional athletes wearing the footwear by 1992, including Shaquille O'Neal . In 1986, Reebok changed
2184-634: The English-based parent company in 1984. Officially an American company in 1985, Reebok had its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RBK and was renamed Reebok International Limited. The brand established itself in professional tennis with the Newport Classic shoe, popularized by Boris Becker and John McEnroe , and the Revenge Plus, also known as
2262-781: The IDEA International Aerobics Convention in Nashville. Also in town for the convention, Gin Miller appeared on Nashville's TV show Talk of the Town on July 28 to promote Bench Blast. New Jersey fitness instructor Dawn Brown released Step It Out in 1990, one of the earliest adopters of Step Reebok. In 1991, more videos of step aerobics were released by Cher , Stacey Benson, Denise Austin , Victoria Johnson, Jenny Ford, Gilad Janklowicz , Debbie Tellshow, Cory Everson , Karen Flores, Carolyn Brown, and Esquire magazine featuring Marian Ramaikas. A smaller device called Super Step
2340-464: The Princess, Empress and Dutchess lines. Following the aerobics trend from the 1980s to early 1990s, Reebok released workout programs called Reebok Step beginning in 1989. To compete with Nike Air , Reebok introduced Energy Return System (ERS) in 1987, in which a series of horizontal cylinders in the midsole acted as springs. It was gradually phased out upon the arrival of "Hexalite" cushioning. In 1989,
2418-524: The Reebok Stadium would be officially rebranded in a new sponsorship deal with sportswear manufacturer Macron , who will manufacture the club's kits and sponsor the stadium under the name Macron Stadium in a four-year deal announced by the club's chairman, Phil Gartside . In Germany, Reebok sponsored football club 1. FC Köln . In rugby union , Reebok sponsored the Wales national team until late 2008, who won
Reebok - Misplaced Pages Continue
2496-810: The Reebok vector logo to the 2004 U.S. Olympic basketball team's uniforms. Reebok held the rights to produce the on-ice Edge Uniform System , performance clothing and training footwear of the National Hockey League (NHL) in a 10-year agreement from 2007 to 2017. On December 2, 2014, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced a six-year deal with Reebok, which began in July 2015. In July 2018, Reebok Boston Track Club announced it would be led by coach Chris Fox from Syracuse University. In 2005, Reebok also signed an exclusive agreement to design and supply all eight team home and away strips for
2574-559: The US. The new owners committed to continuing to operate at least 125 Brooks Brothers retail locations worldwide (down from 424 global locations before the COVID-19 pandemic ). In June 2021, it was announced that ABG would acquire the Izod , Van Heusen , Arrow , and Geoffrey Beene brands from PVH . In July 2021, ABG filed for an estimated US$ 1.5 billion initial public offering . In November 2021, ABG withdrew its IPO, selling private stake in
2652-406: The agreement it holds with The Arena Group to publish, leading to all Sports Illustrated staffers being laid off. In March 2024, Authentic Brands Group relicensed Sports Illustrated to Minute Media ; the company planned to rehire some of the affected employees. In January 2024, Wolverine World Wide announced the sale of Sperry to Authentic Brands Group who in turn is licensing the brand to
2730-407: The benches and teach their style of step aerobics. The two split in 1989, with Miller leaving for Reebok. Miller's friend and Reebok shoe representative Kelly Watson saw the Bench Blast program, and recommended Miller visit Angel Martinez, Reebok's Director of Business Development. Martinez thought the step aerobics idea was good, and introduced Miller to Reebok CEO Paul Fireman who quickly gave
2808-413: The brand introduced one of its signature shoes, the Reebok Pump . The footwear collection was released as a men's basketball shoe and the first adjustable fit controlled with manual air allocation. The Reebok Ventilator , a line of lightweight athletic shoes with vented side panels, was first introduced in 1990. In 1996, Reebok signed a $ 50 million endorsement deal with Allen Iverson when he signed with
2886-556: The brand's fitness apparel line. As it lost contracts to make sportswear for professional and college teams (its last uniform rights contract, with the NHL, ended in 2017), Reebok began repositioning itself as a fitness-oriented brand, just as it had been during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 2013, Reebok announced another fitness partnership with Les Mills International . The agreement included Reebok footwear and clothing integration into Les Mills' fitness programs and media marketing. By July 2013,
2964-435: The business. Reebok designs, manufactures, distributes and sells fitness, running and CrossFit sportswear including clothing and accessories. The company has released numerous notable styles of footwear including the 1982 introduction of the Reebok Freestyle that was exclusively marketed for women. In 1984, the shoe accounted for more than half of Reebok's sales, and the company subsequently released similar styles including
3042-442: The company announced its return to the football stage, signing a new deal with Brazilian club Botafogo . New York rapper Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to get a signature shoe from Reebok. The "S. Carter Collection by Rbk" was launched on November 21, 2002, and the S. Carter sneaker became the fastest-selling shoe in the company's history. Later, Reebok also made a deal with another New York-based rapper 50 Cent to release
3120-523: The company in 1994 and was Reebok's senior vice president of global operations and chief supply chain officer. In 2010, Reebok announced a partnership with CrossFit , a fitness company and competitive fitness sport, including sponsoring the CrossFit Games , opening CrossFit studios, and introducing a line of co-branded footwear and apparel for Fall 2011. In 2011, Reebok debuted the CrossFit delta symbol on
3198-636: The company in 2006. In February 2019, the Russian Instagram version of a global Reebok advertising campaign to promote female empowerment under the hashtag #BeMoreHuman featured the slogan "Sit not on the needle of men’s approval – sit on men’s face." After facing outrage on social media, Reebok removed the slogan and their Russian marketing director resigned. On March 21, 2022, Reebok suspended all branded stores and e-commerce operations in Russia after Russia's invasion of Ukraine . In 2004, Reebok entered into
Reebok - Misplaced Pages Continue
3276-489: The company logo it had used since its founding, from the flag of the United Kingdom to the vector logo—an abstract Union Flag streak across a race track—which mirrored the design of the side flashes of its shoes. The switch signaled the transition of the company into a performance brand as it began licensing deals with professional athletes in the NBA and NFL . Reebok also began developing sports clothing and accessories, and introduced
3354-485: The company sell many thousands of adjustable-height step devices and millions of high-top shoes with ankle support. Step aerobics peaked in 1995 with 11.4 million people exercising in that style. Reebok named Carl Yankowski president and chief executive officer of the brand in 1998, replacing former president Robert Meers. Yankowski stepped down one year later to accept an executive position at another company. Reebok chairman and CEO Paul Fireman took over as president for
3432-476: The company to CVC Capital, HPS Investment Partners, and other current stakeholders at a company value of $ 12.7 billion. In August 2021, it was announced that ABG would be acquiring the sports clothing brand Reebok from Adidas for at least US$ 2.5 billion in a deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2022. Private equity companies CVC Capital Partners and HPS Investment Partners invested $ 3.5 billion in ABG in
3510-488: The earliest spiked running shoes . After his ideas progressed, he founded his business J.W. Foster in 1900; later he joined with his sons and changed the company name to J.W. Foster and Sons . Foster opened a small factory called Olympic Works, and gradually became famous among athletes for his "running pumps". The company began distributing its shoes across the United Kingdom, which were worn by British athletes. They were made famous by 100m Olympic champion Harold Abrahams in
3588-493: The first edition of the league held in 2008. However, for the second edition held in 2009, the sponsorships included Royal Challengers Bangalore , Kolkata Knight Riders , Chennai Super Kings , Kings XI Punjab kits. Indian Cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bollywood star Bipasha Basu endorsed the Reebok shoes together during 2009. In May 2012, Reebok India filed a criminal complaint against former managerial employees, Subhinder Singh Prem and Vishnu Bhagat, accusing them of
3666-587: The first official CrossFit shoe. The company has also partnered with Les Mills and CrossFit to produce more fitness apparel, footwear, and workouts. Reebok debuted the Z-Series foam, a combination of dense midsole and outsole foam that is cushioned but durable, in 2014 on the ZQuick TR with Reebok's new delta logo. Reebok Future innovation house has developed a new technology called Liquid Factory. A robot will extrude liquid polyurethane and "draw" shoe components without
3744-775: The first time in 12 years. In 2001, Reebok hired Peter Arnell with the Arnell Group as its lead marketing agency, which created several advertising campaigns , including a successful series of Terry Tate commercials. The agency also helped develop the Yao Ming line, and the fashion-oriented Rbk brand. In December, Jay Margolis was named as Reebok's president and COO . After launching retail flagship stores in China, Dhaka, London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Tokyo, Margolis resigned in October 2004. Fireman took over as president after signing
3822-1029: The form of an adjustable-height step. William J. Saunders and Samuel Crosby of IDA worked with QPI, a plastics molding company in Atlanta, to prepare a prototype step, which was first displayed in October 1989 in Chicago at a trade show. Reebok licensed "The Step" through Boggs and Irwin's new company, Sports Step. The step base unit was teal with a black non-skid upper surface. It came with two sets of risers in contrasting colors: purple and gray for health clubs, purple and pink for home users. The first official deliveries were in January 1990, carrying Reebok's name as well as The Step trademark. Early demonstration units were trialed by Step Reebok in select health clubs, including Mezzeplex in West Los Angeles in December 1989. Gin Miller taught
3900-482: The general public, step aerobics classes were attracting major media attention, starting with a March 1990 article published by The New York Times . Miller promoted Step Reebok in person, touring the U.S. and demonstrating it at hundreds of exercise studios. Step aerobics became widely popular, helping the company sell many thousands of step devices, and millions of lightweight, flexible high-top shoes with ankle support. For promoting aerobics through Step Reebok, Miller
3978-501: The go-ahead to hire Miller and start a major product campaign. Reebok already had connections with many health clubs through their shoe promotions, and they were very interested in any new aerobics program which would attract male customers, since existing classes were about 90% women. Reebok commissioned physiology trials of the step exercise program, undertaken in 1989 by Doctors Lorna and Peter Francis at San Diego State University . The Francis study showed that 40 minutes of step aerobics
SECTION 50
#17328517796884056-510: The hands for upper body development. Music with a medium (not fast) tempo often accompanies the routine, and learning a choreography sequence can hold the participants' interest. Aerobics traces its origin to the 1968 book Aerobics by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper , which inspired Jacki Sorensen to start her Aerobic Dancing program, combining music and dance routines to create an aerobic exercise pattern. Also in 1969, Judi Missett developed Jazzercise , combining jazz dance with fun exercise in much
4134-402: The heights were too challenging. Lyle Irwin, a shareholder of Sportslife gym, saw Williams and Miller struggling with these problems; he suggested the first adjustable-height step bench on June 19, 1989, with nesting stacked layers, and later patented the idea. Sportslife CEO Rich Boggs joined with Irwin to hire Industrial Design Associates (IDA) to fabricate an attractive plastic exercise aide in
4212-664: The likeness of Marilyn Monroe . In October 2013, ABG announced the purchase of Juicy Couture from Fifth & Pacific for US$ 195 million. The following month, ABG acquired the estate of Muhammad Ali , and CORE Media Group 's 85% stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises (which includes the estate of Elvis Presley , likeness rights, and music publishing assets). In December 2015, basketball player Shaquille O'Neal signed with ABG to manage his likeness and marketing rights. In September 2016, Julius Erving also sold his name and licensing rights to ABG, and Aéropostale
4290-768: The music present a predictable 32-beat, eight-measure sequence. Playlists for aerobic dance may include such songs as " Strut " by the Cheetah Girls , " Carry Out " by Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake , and " Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall " by Coldplay . Step and bench devices are usually molded polyethylene plastic, covered in rubber or other non-slip surface, with the lowest height starting at 4 inches (10 cm). This height can be increased in 2-inch (5 cm) increments to 8 inches (20 cm). Studies have been made of 10- and 12-inch benches, but these are not recommended for popular step aerobics classes. The height of
4368-473: The new Australian A-League competition. Although not an expensive deal, this partnership paid dividends for Reebok, due to the growing popularity of football and the league in the area. An estimated 125,000 A-League jerseys were sold in Australia, a record for a single league's sales in a year for a sports manufacturer. Reebok's agreement ended at the finish of the 2010–11 season. On 29 September 2022, it announced
4446-478: The new angular step design in dark and light gray. A new Step Reebok logo was issued, with three horizontal lines representing the 'E' in Step. Step aerobics is one of several low-impact aerobic exercises, along with water aerobics, dance aerobics and fast walking. Step aerobics is similar to climbing stairs , but performed while staying in one place. The step platform itself is much less expensive and more portable than
4524-493: The number of people who were involved in fitness. Stair climbing exercise was already thousands of years old when physiologists started studying its medical characteristics in the 20th century. Climbing stairs was long known to be healthy exercise for the heart. The act of stepping up and down on one bench was studied in 1986 by a team led by Doctor Fredric L. Goss of the Human Energy Research Laboratory at
4602-603: The origins of the company. It was bought by German sporting goods company Adidas in 2005, then sold to the United States–based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. The company's global headquarters are located in Boston , Massachusetts, in the Seaport District . In 1895, Joseph William Foster at the age of 14 started work in his bedroom above his father's sweetshop in Bolton , England, and designed some of
4680-468: The outstanding Reebok shares and completed the deal valued at $ 3.8 billion. Following the acquisition, Adidas replaced Reebok as the official uniform supplier for the NBA in 2006 with an 11-year deal that included the WNBA , replica jerseys, and warm-up gear. Reebok named Paul Harrington president and CEO of the company in January 2006, replacing Paul Fireman who was acting president since 2004. Harrington joined
4758-432: The red delta sign began appearing on Reebok's fitness collections. The brand announced it was phasing out the vector logo and replacing it with the delta sign, the company's second logo change in more than 120 years. The delta symbol is meant to symbolize three pillars of positive self-change—mental, physical and social—as Reebok increases its presence in the fitness industry with yoga, dance, aerobics and CrossFit. Following
SECTION 60
#17328517796884836-554: The routines to local instructors. Mezzeplex began offering two to three step aerobics classes every day. Demand for the Step Reebok device quickly rose, requiring Boggs to add two more manufacturing plants in other cities, including one in Ontario, California . Combined, the three plants were making 50,000 steps every month. Sports Step extended their reach with manufacturing licenses in Japan and Europe. Two months after its introduction to
4914-465: The same time, Atlanta -based aerobics competitor Gin Miller was sidelined from high-impact activities in 1986 when she injured her knee. She was advised by her physical therapist to build her strength back up by stepping on and off an upside-down plastic milk crate (11 inches (28 cm) tall). The crate was too high, so she used her 8-inch front porch step instead. After a few weeks of therapy, she noticed her increased fitness and realized this would be
4992-443: The same way. Building through the 1970s, Missett's Jazzercise and Sorensen's Aerobic Dancing became very popular in the U.S., such that by 1981–82 they counted 4,000 instructors each, and more than 300,000 students combined. In 1982, Jane Fonda's Workout video changed the fitness world dramatically, starting a boom in home video exercise instruction through the 1980s and beyond. This same boom benefited health clubs by increasing
5070-435: The step should be tailored to the individual; lower levels for beginners. Typical steps have a length and width of 43 by 16 inches (109 by 41 cm). A smaller product called Super Step was 28 by 14 inches (71 by 36 cm). The step is never approached with the participant's back toward it. While women were already doing aerobic dance in the 1970s and 1980s, outnumbering men 9 to 1, men were attracted to step aerobics in
5148-458: The team moved to a brand new ground in the late-1990s, their new home was named the Reebok Stadium . Several other English clubs, such as Liverpool F.C. , had Reebok sponsorship deals up until the purchase by Adidas , but most have since switched to either the parent brand (which has a long history in football) or another company altogether. In April 2014, Bolton Wanderers officially announced
5226-502: The teams of the National Football League (NFL). It hired filmmaker Errol Morris to produce a series of 30-second commercials that aired during the 2006 NFL season. In 2004, Reebok signed a four-year deal as the official shoe supplier to Major League Baseball (MLB). It became the exclusive apparel outfitter for the 29 teams in the NBA , and 16 WNBA teams for ten years beginning in the 2004–2005 season. The deal also added
5304-675: The use of traditional shoe molds. In 2017, the UFC announced the launch of a new line under the name Fight Night Collection that includes an upgraded version of the Reebok-branded apparels. Reebok sponsored kits for top seeded Indian Football clubs, Mohun Bagan AC (2006–2011) and East Bengal FC (2003–2005, 2006–2010). Later it sponsored kits for Indian Premier League teams, such as the Royal Challengers Bangalore , Kolkata Knight Riders , Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in
5382-433: The years include Ariana Grande , Gal Gadot , Gigi Hadid , Victoria Beckham , Cardi B , and Camille Kostek . The Reebok Foundation operates the "Build Our Kids' Success" (BOKS) program to provide US schoolchildren with physical activities before the school day. Reebok funds the program with direct grants and by contributing a percentage of shoe sales. Authentic Brands Group Authentic Brands Group LLC ( ABG )
5460-609: Was announced that Authentic Brands Group would be acquiring the Reebok brand from Adidas for at least $ 2.5 billion. On March 1, 2022, the acquisition was finalized. Reebok's global headquarters are located in Boston , Massachusetts, in the Seaport District . In EMEA countries, Authentic Brands Group is working with Bounty Apparel in South Africa, Al Boom Marine in the Middle East and North Africa, and Flo Magazacilik in Turkey to grow
5538-560: Was completed on July 3, 2018. On October 10, 2018, ABG announced that it had entered into an agreement to purchase a majority stake in the intellectual property of the Camuto Group's proprietary brands in partnership with DSW Inc. In May 2019, ABG announced its acquisition of sports magazine Sports Illustrated from Meredith Corporation for US$ 110 million. The company stated it planned to leverage its trademarks and other non-core assets in new ventures. Meredith will continue to publish
5616-642: Was equivalent to running 7 miles (11 km) in terms of oxygen breathed and calories burnt, but the body stress was much lower, the same as normal walking. Lorna Francis also observed a Bench Blast training session in May 1989, remarking that it was an excellent overall exercise regimen for people without joint problems. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, fitness trainer Cathe Friedrich had been working with long wooden benches which were 14 inches (36 cm) high. Up to six people at
5694-441: Was evaluated in physiology trials undertaken by Drs. Lorna and Peter Francis at San Diego State University . In August 1989 the Step was ready, made in molded plastic by Sports Step of Atlanta with Reebok's name on it, and by March 1990, the step aerobics classes were attracting media attention. Miller promoted Step Reebok in person, touring the U.S. and demonstrating it at exercise studios. Step aerobics became widely popular, helping
5772-481: Was named IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year in 1991. Step aerobics programs were soon developed by Jazzercise, Kathy Smith, Jane Fonda , Molly Fox, and New Zealand health club founder Les Mills . The year 1995 was the peak of step aerobics, with 11.4 million practitioners. The first home video of step aerobics was released during the weekend of July 28–30, 1989, by Cathe Friedrich who sold out her supply of tapes at
5850-495: Was named by Forbes as the world's thirty first highest-paid sportsperson in June 2012. At the time of the article, Dhoni endorsed more than 20 other brands in deals that were cumulatively valued at US$ 23 million. The company maintained its relationship with its origins in England through a long-term sponsorship deal with Bolton Wanderers , a League One football club, however, in 2009, Bolton changed their sponsorship to 188bet. When
5928-654: Was promoted with a video by Brenda Dykgraaf (later Dygraf) and Kathy Smith . Miller's Bench Blast colleague and co-developer Connie Collins Williams trademarked "BenchAerobix" in 1990, and at the same time put out a step aerobics video called BenchAerobix . Williams trained instructors in her method, and promoted a smaller molded plastic bench, 36 by 14 inches (91 by 36 cm), with a fixed height of 8 inches for most students, and 10 inches for advanced levels. She sold Bench Blast to Reebok in 1991, to focus on BenchAerobix. Bench Blast trainer Sindy Benson joined Reebok's 14-person training team. In March 1992, Reebok designed
6006-412: Was purchased out of bankruptcy by a consortium that included ABG and other investors. In March 2017, ABG became the controlling partner of Greg Norman 's consumer products business. In March 2018, ABG announced that they would acquire Nautica from VF Corporation . On June 10, 2018, ABG announced that it was the winning bidder for the intellectual property of Nine West Holdings . The acquisition
6084-519: Was used for a gag in the Super Mario Bros. live-action film, where the soles of a Bob-omb's feet are printed with the brand logo. Reebok signed Venus Williams after she won singles titles at Wimbledon and the 2000 Summer Olympics . From 2002 to 2012, the company held the exclusive rights to manufacture and market both authentic and replica uniform jerseys, sideline clothing and caps, and onfield football footwear (marketed as NFL Equipment ) of
#687312