{{short description|American businessman}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=September 2016}} {{autobiography|date=September 2016}} }} {{Infobox person | name = Joe Foster | image = Joseph William Foster 2022.png | caption = Foster in 2022 | birth_name = Joseph William Foster | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1935|5|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Bolton]], [[Lancashire]], England | occupation = | years_active = 1958–present | agent = A.M. Heath | spouse = Jean | predecessor = Joseph William Foster | known_for = Co-founder of [[Reebok]] | notable_works = | website = [https://www.reebokthefounder.com reebokthefounder.com] }}
'''Joseph William Foster''' (born 18 May 1935) is the co-founder of [[Reebok]] with his older brother Jeffery William Foster (Jeff). He shares the same name as his grandfather, also named Joseph William Foster. Foster's grandfather was the founder of [[J.W. Foster and Sons]] and the pioneer of the [[track spikes|spiked running shoe]]. The elder Foster also developed the trainer ([[sneakers|sneaker]]) and provided most [[Football League First Division|First Division]] (now English Premier League) Football teams with trainers.<ref name="Coles">{{cite book|last1=Colea|first1=Jason|title=Golden Kicks: The Shoes that Changed Sport|date=2016|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|pages=14–16}}</ref>
==Career== Joe Foster was born into the [[J.W. Foster and Sons|J.W Foster & Sons]] family business founded by his grandfather. Joe joined the family business in 1952, but left the company a year later to complete his [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|National Service]]. Upon his return after 2 years away in 1955, Foster began to have doubts about the future of the family business. The result was that Foster and his older brother Jeff left the family business in order to set up their own business in 1958. The two brothers founded "Mercury Sports Footwear", 6 miles down the road in [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]]. After 18 months, the duo were advised to protect their company name by registering it. However, they found out that the word "Mercury Sports Footwear" was registered by another company. They started the search for a new name and came across the [[grey rhebok]], a small South African [[antelope]] in [[Webster's dictionary]]. The two liked the name of the animal, and used the American spelling which was free to register.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Humphries |first1=Nick |last2=Foster |first2=Joe |title=Joe Foster (Founder of Reebok) - Startup Success Tips |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joe-foster-founder-of-reebok-startup-success-tips/id1509338520?i=1000514534285 |website=Apple Podcasts |publisher=Young Entrepreneur Podcast with Nick Humphries |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref>
The Reebok business developed with Jeff looking after production, Joe took charge of the sales and marketing side, as well as design which included the classic silhouette, outsole and the Starcrest logo. In the early years Joe travelled all over the United Kingdom marketing Reebok shoes to various retailers.
In 1979, Joe attended the NSGA (National Sporting Goods of America) Show in [[Chicago]], where he met American businessman [[Paul Fireman]]. Fireman proceeded to license and distribute the Reebok brand in the [[United States|United]] States. This collaboration was instrumental in turning Reebok into a leading athletic apparel company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/87/Reebok-International-Ltd.html|title=Reebok International Ltd. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Reebok International Ltd.|publisher=}}</ref>
As the surviving co-founder of Reebok, Joe continues to speak about his career at various corporate events.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} Joe currently resides in [[Tenerife]].
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official|https://www.reebokthefounder.com/}}
{{Reebok}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Joseph William}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:History of Western fashion]] [[Category:Manufacturing company founders]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Bolton]] [[Category:Reebok people]] [[Category:20th-century British military personnel]] [[Category:Military personnel from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton]]