Adidas

Adidas AG was founded on 18 August 1949 by Adolf "Adi" Dassler in the small Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, Germany. The name combines his nickname "Adi" with the first three letters of his surname. Adi's journey in shoemaking began in his mother's laundry room in the 1920s, where he crafted specialized athletic footwear for soccer and track athletes. After a bitter split with his brother Rudolf — who went on to found Puma across the river — Adi registered his own company and introduced the now-famous three stripes, initially designed for foot stability rather than branding.

The brand's first global moment came at the 1954 FIFA World Cup when the West German national team, wearing Adidas boots with revolutionary removable studs, defeated the heavily favored Hungarian side — a match known as the "Miracle of Bern." Through the 1960s and 70s, Adidas dominated Olympic sports, outfitting athletes like Muhammad Ali and Jesse Owens. The 1980s saw the brand transition from pure performance into lifestyle and hip-hop culture, notably when Run-DMC immortalized the Superstar sneaker with their 1986 anthem "My Adidas."

Today Adidas operates in over 160 countries and competes across football, running, basketball, training, and outdoor categories. Its collaborations span high fashion (Yohji Yamamoto's Y-3, Prada, Gucci) and streetwear (Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny), while its Boost and 4D technologies set new standards in comfort and sustainability. The brand's commitment to ending plastic waste, exemplified by the Parley ocean-plastic partnership and Primegreen materials, reflects its ambition to lead the industry into a more sustainable future.