Reebok Freestyle - Competition, Decline, and Following

Competition, Decline, and Following

The Freestyle success and the athletic shoe fad of the late 1980s saw new competition from the likes of Avia, which Reebok owned during that time, LA Gear, and Nike. Many competitors, like LA Gear and even off-price retailers like Fayva- even had models that looked like the Freestyle hi-top complete with Velcro enclosures. By the mid-1990s, the Freestyle sales began to decline as fashion trends changed. Hi-top athletic shoes were out of style and consumers were choosing high-tech shoes. In the casual shoe market, consumers opted for non-athletic, "brown shoes" while fashion conscious teens opted for new styles from Nike, Adidas, and Skechers. Sales continued to decline and Reebok eventually pulled the high-top Freestyle model from many retail stores (the Reebok Princess, a low-top shoe similar to the Freestyle in design, is still widely available by contrast). Today, the Freestyle is still widely available on the Internet and has a strong following with dedicated consumers, including men. Many consumers have purchased the Freestyle for years while others like the support the hi-top shoe provides for weak ankles.