Adidas: A History
Adidas, a sporting brand known and loved by people around the world today, found it's roots in a small German village in 1924. Adolf "Adi" Dassler founded the company along with his brother Rudolf Dassler and called their small family business "Dassler Shoes". They specialized in soccer and running shoes which are still the most popular products by Adidas today. Their claim to fame came when their shoes started appearing in the Olympics. Gold medals were won by athletes wearing Adidas shoes in Amsterdam (1928 Lina Radke) and Berlin (Jesse Owens 1936) and that's when shoes by the Dassler brothers began gaining momentum.
In 1948, a dispute began between the two brothers. During World War II, both brothers were part of the Nazi party, with Rudolf being drafted and serving in War. Rudolf was later captured as a prisoner of war but was released. Afterwards, however, Rudolf was picked up by American soldiers and accused of being a part of Waffen SS, a more radical wing of the Nazi party. This was information he believed was supplied by his brother, Adolf. Eventually, the two split and created their own companies. Adolf with Adidas and Rudolph created Puma.
In 1948, a dispute began between the two brothers. During World War II, both brothers were part of the Nazi party, with Rudolf being drafted and serving in War. Rudolf was later captured as a prisoner of war but was released. Afterwards, however, Rudolf was picked up by American soldiers and accused of being a part of Waffen SS, a more radical wing of the Nazi party. This was information he believed was supplied by his brother, Adolf. Eventually, the two split and created their own companies. Adolf with Adidas and Rudolph created Puma.
A Company is Born
To the right is the first ever model of field and track shoes by Adi Dassler. The three stripes shown on the side of the shoe were added in to create balance and stability for the athlete, but eventually formed the logo of the company. Adidas began growing fast, many attribute it's success to it's product quality, styling, and reputation. In the 1954 World Cup final, the German National Football team wore and were sponsored by Adidas. They were against the "unbeatable" Hungarians and won much more than a trophy that year. People around the world heard about their victory and made Adidas the household name it is today. Pictured below is Adi observing a pair of cleats.
Adidas Today
Adidas is currently the largest shoe supplier in all of Europe. Worldwide, Adidas ranks second, selling products in 200 countries. In 1994 alone, Adidas sales totaled 3 billion dollars.
The Adidas brand is very consumer focused and therefore continually improves the look, feel, and image of their products and organizational structures to align and ultimately surpass all consumer expectations by providing them the highest value. Adidas takes pride in being an innovative company and undergoes thorough research and analysis to make every product they bring to the market the best one. Their brand is built on a passion for sports and the sporting lifestyle.
Mission Statement
“The Adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. We are committed to continuously strengthening our brands and products to improve our competitive position.”