Reebok once had the coolest and famous shoes. It was one of the world famous brands along with Adidas, Nike, Puma etc. established in 1985. It was founded by JW Foster and sons in UK and now it has its headquarters in Boston, USA. After its establishment for about 20 years it had market dominance in USA. Reebok gained a popularity in USA for its shoe lines like, Reebok pump, Reebok Freestyle etc and also all the sport wears it manufactured. With in few years of establishment Reebok already has been sponsoring major leagues and sport teams.

From being market leader in its segment, endorsing top athletes like Dominique Wilkins, Shaquille O’neal, Venus Williams etc. and sponsoring sport wears to top leagues like NBA (National Basketball Association, NFL (National Football League), WNBA (Women National Basketball Association), Canadian Football League etc to being acquired by Adidas it had seen a great success. Reebok and Nike had their dominance in United states where adidas had weak market presence. To compete with Nike, adidas acquired Reebok. They stated that the two brands would have ‘separate identities, marketing campaigns, distribution and sales force.’ However, after the acquisition, Adidas replaced its subsidiary Reebok as official sponsor to the NBA. They signed an 11-year contract and had famous celebrities endorsing Adidas rather than its sister company.

Overtime, the acquisition by Adidas overshadowed and diluted the reputation of Reebok. Reebok lost its market share, its coolness, and the retro aura that once were key factors for its success. Reebok had the potential to be one of the best brands in the market. However, it ruined itself by being acquired by Adidas. This was an attempt to compete with Nike.