Reebok’s US operations undergoes layoffs amid footwear restructuring

A number of layoffs have been confirmed at Sparc, the firm running the US operations of Reebok, as it looks to restructure the sportswear giant’s footwear business.

Sparc, a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group, Simon Property Group and Shein, announced the news to various media outlets, including Retail Dive, to which it said it was transferring certain Reebok licenses to other partners in order to focus on the brand’s apparel category.

As a result, its workforce associated with Reebok’s footwear business has been reduced, aligning with efforts to tackle both scaling issues and duplicate roles.

Management did not disclose the number of employees or divisions that were impacted, however, a number of employees in merchandising, product management and innovation revealed on LinkedIn that their roles had been cut, according to FootwearNews.

Global product manager for Classics Footwear, Maxwell Beimler, for example, shared that he was “beyond proud” of how much he had grown during his six years at Reebok, before calling for “insight into navigating a layoff or tips for transitioning to a new role”.

Since Authentic’s acquisition of Reebok in 2021, the company has shifted to a different operating model that relies heavily on licensing partners to carry out and bolster its international expansion.

Shortly after Authentic’s announcement, Sparc Group was named as the firm taking on Reebok’s US operations, a role through which it was to oversee the new Reebok Design Hub, a global hub responsible for design, development and innovation.