Founded by sports shoe manufacturer Adi Dassler in 1949, the name Adidas became world-famous in 1954 following the victory of the German team in the World Cup, the “miracle of Berlin”. Up until the 1960s, Adidas dominated the global sports shoe market together with rival Puma (founded by Dassler’s brother Rudolf), until Nike arrived on the scene.

Here are the two instances that highlight the beginning of the success story of Adidas. Jesse Owens, an American athlete who wore Adidas shoes and won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics, made the company renowned across the world. The German football team, wearing Adidas shoes, then won the World Cup final match in 1954.

Adidas is a global corporation. In 2020, the sporting goods manufacturer generated sales of approximately 19.8 billion euros, making it the No. 2 in the global sports business. The history of Adidas is a story of success - of inventiveness and precision, but also of setbacks, fraternal strife and the hard struggle for influence.