Adidas

Adidas is a global leader in sports wear manufacturing. The Adidas Group consists of the Reebok Sportswear Company, Taylor Made-Adidas Golf Company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports and clothing related goods.

In 1925 Adi Dassler is in business with his brother, Rudi, in Bavaria and they are making around 50 shoes per day when he starts developing Track, a range of field shoes with hand-forged spikes, and this leads to his first football boots with nailed studs.

At the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics Adi works closely with professional athletes to optimize the quality of the shoes and provide the best possible support for “his” athletes in Amsterdam.

During World War II a rift grows between the brothers and they split the business in 1947. Rudi forming a new firm that he called Ruda – from Rudolf Dassler, later rebranded Puma and Adi forming a company formally registered as Adidas AG from Adi Dassler.

The Adidas brand has been linked with many famous celebrities including advertising by Madonna, design links with Stella McCartney, and they are currently the official NBA apparel provider.

Adidas remain a major company in the supply of team kits for international football teams. Current examples include Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark and Greece. Adidas also makes referee kits that are used in international competition and by many countries and leagues in the world.