Incubus (Running Shoes)

History

In 1997, Reebok produced a women's running show without realizing the implications of the name Incubus. After a short period of time on the market, the shoe was renamed.

News Release Changing shoe name

Reebok Changes Name of 'Nightmarish' Shoe

Copyright 1997 by Reuters / Wed, 19 Feb 1997 10:52:02 PST

STOUGHTON, Mass. (Reuter) - Reebok International Ltd. said Wednesday it will change the 'nightmarish' name of one of its women's running shoes.

Reebok has shipped 53,000 pairs of its "Incubus" shoes in the last year, but found out only Tuesday that the name is that of an evil spirit that rapes women in their sleep.

"We apologize," said Dave Fogelson, director of public relations with Reebok. "Certainly it is very inappropriate."

He said the company found out about the embarassing name after running an advertisement for it in an Arizona newspaper.

Fogelson said Reebok must find 1,500 new names for products each year and did not properly research the meaning of incubus when it found the name was not trade-marked.

"Obviously it became very apparent to us yesterday why nobody else was using the name," he said.

The Webster's dictionary defines incubus as "an evil spirit ... that has sexual intercourse with women while they are sleeping." Incubus is also described as a "nightmare" or "one that oppresses or burdens like a nightmare."

Fogelson said the name does not appear on the shoes, which have a suggested retail price of $57.99. But the company will take steps to remove the name from its boxes for the shoes.

"What people have to understand is this was an honest mistake," he said.