"I am what I am," reads the power slogan on the glitzy glass facade of the building. It is indeed what it is. Reebok, the name for a South Afican antelope, and a company now owned by Adidas, boasts a 3-storeyed outlet in the upmarket Jubilee Hills that resembles a footwear museum more than a store. Size does matter, especially when it shows who you are.
The ground floor is occupied by men's sports paraphernalia like sneakers, shoes, apparel, hats and, of course, the prototypical 'Kreate' kiosk, where you can actually customize the shoe, that's cut out to your comfort and delectation as you select the several options on the touch-screen monitor (once the customizing is done, you order the shoe online). It may all be a little too far-fetched for some of us who go to Reebok for their designs, but it's still not uncool to check this urbane feature out.
Men's sneakers start at Rs. 1,990, and go all the way up to Rs. 11,000. Which is only natural - this is Reebok, remember? The range is spectacular, from the legendary 'Classic' sneaker collection to the basketball shoes that gave Nike's 'Air' a serious run for its money, 'The Pump', and the latest in sports foot fashion.
There is also a limited but suave range of casual shoes at around Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3,000. And there's tons of apparel, too - a variety of trendy hats, sporty undergarments, shorts and Jeans (priced expectedly at Rs. 1,500 given the brand), tees (Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,500), and sports accessories like wrist bands and head bands.
The second floor has a dazzlingly sexy array of ladies sneakers, designer shoes, ladies apparel, accessories, fitness equipment and so on. The sneakers, at Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 11,000, are worth the trip here. So seductive are these in all those sinful shades and chic design, they make even single men feel feminine. As for the apparel, there's spandex, lots of it, at around Rs. 2,000, there are reasonably priced tees, and there are all the girlie-sporty accessories.
However, the real thing, the one that makes this showroom special, is the absolutely kitsch but effervescent collection of au courant designer sneakers and shoes for the ultra-sporty girl who likes to be sexy and hip, called Fish Fry, created by couturier Manish Arora exclusively for Reebok. This definitely comes as a relief in a global fashion scene perennially hung up on blacks, grays and neutral tones. The most intricate of his 12 designs uses embossed suede, rhinestones and crystals. Call it ethno-fluoroscence at its best. With only a few hundred of each model available, they are already the season's must-have.
Fish Fry models can cost upto 60k, but the priciest one I touched was about Rs. 20,000, which is so aptly called 'Rang De Basanti' - maybe it's inspired by the somber Bollywood flick, or maybe it's just gaudy colors at play.
There's still the kids and fitness sections to brag about on this floor. The kids collection of sneakers, apparel and the like is undoubtedly cute. The sneaker prices for the young guns range from Rs. 990 to Rs. 2,000, which is decent. And there are a few treadmills, cardio machines and stationary bikes in here, too. The stationary bike and cardio machine come in at about Rs. 45,000 apiece, while treadmills range from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs (if you're talking about the state-of-the-art ones with music and all those slick controls).
The top floor is just an extension of the second-floor fitness section - it pretty much has the same equipment as down under, except for a handful more like the stationary stepper priced at Rs. 8,000, Core Exerciser about the same price, gym and medicine balls at Rs. 2,000 each, and yoga mats at Rs. 500 each.
If you're wondering what gym and medicine balls are, they are devices that strengthen the body core. Typically, a gym ball is inflatable, large and soft, while a medicine ball is hard like a basketball and smaller in size. Both serve similar purposes in that they strengthen the core and stability, improve overall fitness regime for a toned body, and lower back pain.
Much as there is to gab about this fab outlet, this store misses out on some key aspects. The fitness section doesn't have significant gear like dumbbells, weights, and the veritable must-have, the home gym. Conspicuous by their absence in the apparel section are the sports pro-team jerseys. If you're an NFL fan, there's not even a single New York Giants' jersey, neither is there a Manchester United merch for the soccer fanatic. I've seen RBK stores adorn these as they're popular with sports fans.
Nevertheless, this is a top-end sports fashion store specializing in its fantastic smorgasbord of sneaker collection and sports apparel. The staff here claim it's the biggest in Asia. Tall one, eh!