The History of Adidas

The History of Adidas

By Brooklyn Hoffmann

Adidas has solidified its place in the fashion world over the many years the label has been around. After developing the first specialist running shoe, Adidas went on to create an impressive catalog of sneakers and clothing alike. Whether it was the sprinting shoes Jesse Owens wore at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin or the Superstars Gigi Hadid wore for an afternoon stroll around L.A., Adidas has been donned by some of the most iconic names in pop culture. The best way to explain the brand’s prominence is to look back at its roots.

Brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler were from Herzogenaurach in Bavaria. Adolf—nicknamed Adi by his family—returned from World War I to find that his mother’s laundry business went bankrupt due to the economic crisis after the war. Adolf decided to start his own small footwear workshop in his mother’s former workplace and was later joined by his brother, Rudolf, in what became Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (“Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory”) in 1924. Although the business had a rough start, with the brothers sometimes having to generate power with the help of a stationary bicycle, the Dasslers were able to successfully persuade famous German athletes to wear and promote their new shows using innovative additions, such as spikes and interchangeable studs. The company gained even more attention when Hitler seized power in 1933 and the brothers started to supply the Nazi youth organization with shoes. 

Adidas expanded internationally after the brothers convinced American athlete Jesse Owens to wear their shoes to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he went on to win 4 gold medals. Owens’ success while wearing Adidas opened up opportunities on the international market for the Dassler brothers. 

Tensions in the business rose due to family conflict and World War II. The factory was forced to produce military gear along with sports shoes and the names of their footwear had to follow the spirit of the war effort, with names such as “Kampf” (“fight”) and “Blitz” (“lightning”). Due to fewer resources and a worker shortage, the Dasslers accepted Soviet prisoners of war as forced laborers in the factory. When American troops found out this factory made the shoes Jesse Owens ran in, they started becoming popular amongst American soldiers. After World War II, the Dassler brothers split, with Adi founding Adidas and Rudolph setting up another well-known shoe company, Puma.

Adidas were later worn at the 1954 World Cup because their football boots were half the weight as others, leading the Germans to defeat Hungary in the final. In the 1960s, Adidas created its first tracksuit with the signature three stripes down the arms and legs. Two decades later, Adidas set up shop in America. In the early 1990s, Adidas almost went bankrupt until investor Robert Louis-Dreyfus took over and marketed the brand better. Adidas partnered with fashion designer Stella McCartne in 2005, increasing sales to women. In 2020, Adidas amassed worldwide sales of 22.4 billion. Adidas is currently the second largest sportswear company in the world, behind only Nike.

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