Reebok relaunches ‘Pump’ shoes

Reebok is relaunching its Pump shoe range next month, 15 years after it was first introduced. The relaunch of the “manual pump shoe” comes just months before the company debuts the next generation of the technology, Reebok Pump 2.0, in the UK.

Both ranges of Pump shoes offer a custom-fit by inflating the shoes to fit the feet. The manual pump allows the wearer to inflate the shoe, whereas the new version will inflate automatically to suit whatever the wearer is doing.

Reebok is relaunching the manual range in the UK and is gearing up for the launch of the new version in June – making it the company’s big launch of the year. The 2.0 range has already been launched in the US.

The launches are part of Reebok’s new marketing strategy which has seen it increase advertising spend and extend its lifestyle marketing across all of its categories, following the success of the Rbk range. The marketing strategy was launched earlier this month with a &£12m television, press and outdoor campaign, which stars US rapper 50Cent and tennis player Andy Roddick and has the strapline “I am what I am”.

Reebok global marketing chief Dennis Baldwin says the new products, and the fact that consumers can customise their own shoes, supports the ” I am what I am” positioning.