Adi Dassler created the Adidas brand in 1920s. Adi, a keen sports enthusiast and also a shoemaker, had an idea. He wanted to design trainers that could allow athletes to play at their best and prevent injury. While this is something we are used to, the idea of protective and supportive sports clothes seems natural to modern eyes. However, for Adi, it was an innovative idea.
Adidas trainers were hugely popular and Adi Dassler’s firm was able to produce more than 100 pairs per day in a very short time. This is a remarkable feat for such a young company. Adidas began to expand its product range in the 1930s. They started by making trainers for specific sports. They began producing tennis shoes, ice skating, and golf.
Rudolph Dassler, Adi’s brother and business partner at the time Adi Dassler started trading under Adidas. Their visions for the future of the company began to diverge during the 1940s and the two chose to follow different routes. Rudolph started a new company called Puma. Adi continued creating Adidas trainers. Rudolph was the founder of Puma. Adi added the Adidas three stripes to distinguish the marks.
Adidas truly became a household name in the 1950s. The company created its first football boot range, with studs. It attracted all of the top football leagues in the world. The winning team at the World Cup 1954 in Switzerland wore Adidas boots. Adidas became a sponsor for the Olympic Games at Melbourne in 1956, which took place in the middle of 1950s. Adidas has become one of the most well-known brands in the world. This is a remarkable feat considering its humble origins. Adidas was able to expand its reach throughout capitalist countries by opening new factories regularly.
Adidas started manufacturing sport clothing in 1960s. Adidas began expanding their product line to include sports gear in 1963. Without this, Adidas would no longer be able to sponsor major sporting events. This image has become synonymous with the “beautiful sport”.
In the 1970s, footwear, clothing and equipment saw their first Trefoil Logo. Adidas introduced the Trefoil Logo to distinguish imitation Adidas products from genuine ones. Horst Dassler, a founder of ‘International Sports, Culture, and Leisure’, was involved in the promotion and cultivation of sport in general in the 1980s.
The opening of the first Adidas Originals shops in America and South Korea marked a return to old Adidas clothing styles. Adidas Originals is still a very popular fashion.