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What is it with the strange names of shoes? No... we dont
mean words like galoshes. What we're talking about
are those names we can sometimes hardly pronounce like Adidas,
Nike, Reebok, and others. Who thinks of these names, and where
do they come from? PCM has collected the answers for you.
by Lars Hindsley
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Reebok
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 Founded
in the 1890's, Reebok was originally named J.W. Foster and Sons,
and supplied the same athletes in the 1924 summer games whom
were featured in the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire.
In 1958 the grandsons started a companion company and named
it after the fast-moving Reebok Gazelle. They won a South African
(Afrikaans/Dutch) dictionary in a race and found the name of
the Rhebok, explaining the spelling. |
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Adidas
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 When
the two Bavarian brothers of the Dassler shoe company split
in 1947, Adolf (started Dassler) continued on under the name
Adidas which brought his nick name, "Adi" and part
of his surname, "Dassler" together to form Adidas.
So when you pronounce Adidas, it should be in two parts, Adi
& Das. |
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Puma
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 In
1947 the second (older) Dassler brother, Rudolf (Rudi), then
created Ruda and later that year renamed it Puma after a brand
shoe Rudi founded in 1928. The feud between these two once close
brothers was epic. Books have been written on the two companies,
and even their home town where both companies resided became
divided. |
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Nike
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 Still
operating from its original base in Beaverton Oregon, where
Blue Ribbon Sports opened in 1964, and was renamed to Nike in
1978 - taking its name from the Greek goddess of victory. For
middle eastern marketing, Nike touts the name Nike from Egyptian
interpretation "strength" and "victory".
As for the logo... legend has it Nike founder paid $35 to a
design student for it. Later he gave her stock. |
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Umbro
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 Based
in Cheadle, yet begat in 1920 in Wilmslow, Cheshire under the
name Humphrey Brothers Clothing. Four years later in 1924 that
name later became abbreviated for marketing purposes to UM (Humphrys)
and BRO (Brothers). Umbro is now owned by Nike. |
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Pony
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 Perhaps
one of the youngest of shoe companies, Pony was founded in Brooklyn
NY in 1972 with its roots in basketball. Pony is an acronym
for Product Of New York (PONY). Pony's logo is a chevron, quite
similar to Nike's swoosh. |
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Converse
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 Named
after its founder Marquis M. Converse in 1908. Now owned by
Nike, it was originally named Converse Rubber Shoe Company,
a.k.a. Boston Rubber Shoe Company, and made Tennis shoes. In
1921, basketball player Chuck Taylor approached Converse complaining
of sore feet. Converse gave him a job. His star and signature
were added to the shoe in 1923. |
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New
Balance
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 Boston-based
New Balance Arch Support Company has been around since 1906.
NB focused on arch supports until 1961 and shoes were manufactured
in mass production. New Balance has a ubiquitous approach to
sales and the origin of its name is based on that company philosophy
of revolutionary arch support. |
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Fila
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 South
Korean Fila was once an Italian fabric and clothing company
conceived in 1911 by the Fila brothers in Biella Italy. Fila
made its name as a tennis shoe in 1973 on the feet of tennis
legend Bjorn Borg. |
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Vans
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 Named
after Californian Paul Van Doren. He and three partners opened
up the first shoe manufacturer that sold directly to the public
in 1966. That day 12 customers bought shoes made that day. The
checkered shoes that Ed Spicoli of Fast Times At Ridgemont High
made famous is now a surf and skate brand owned by Hurley Surfboards,
a new incarnation of the Billabong brand. |
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