So I was sitting on my couch scrolling through Reddit when this question popped up: what the hell does Reebok actually mean? Got me curious since I’ve worn their sneakers forever but never knew the story. Grabbed my laptop and started digging.
First Attempt: The Useless Website Rabbit Hole
Went straight to Reebok’s official site expecting a cool “About Us” story. Big mistake. All I found was generic crap like “empowering athletes” and “fueling fitness journeys.” Zero history. Felt like searching for your keys in a dark room – kept bumping into marketing nonsense instead of real answers.
Reddit Saves The Day (Sorta)
Hopped over to r/Sneakers where this dude mentioned Joe Foster – turns out he’s the founder’s grandson. Finally! A lead! Googled him and found a 2019 interview. Foster said young Joe wanted a name that sounded fast and light…
- Reebok = rhebok
- Which = African antelope
- Spelling changed cuz rhebok was already trademarked
Mind blown. All these years wearing shoes named after a damn gazelle from South Africa? Could’ve named it Cheetah or something but nah – antelope it is.
Bonus Round: That Weird Spelling
Double-checked in my dusty kid’s encyclopedia (yeah I still got physical books). Confirmed rhebok’s real but super obscure – exactly why Joe stole it from some old dictionary. Clever bastard wanted a unique name nobody else had. Totally worked since nobody pronounces it right anyway (shoutout to my cousin calling them “Ree-bocks” for 20 years).
Final Verdict?
Reebok means jack squat today beyond selling shoes. That antelope story? Buried deeper than my motivation to go jogging in winter. But hey – next time someone asks about my Classics, I’ll flex this random trivia. Bet they’ll be as surprised as I was.
