Adidas and Puma are the two world’s most renowned shoe companies that have a dark history. The rivalry between these two brands was not just a corporate competition but was far beyond that. Adidas and Puma are the most popular brands but most of the people don’t know the story behind them. We are sure after reading this article you will know much about these two brands.
1. The owner of Adidas and Puma are brothers, Rudolf Dassler and Adolf Dassler.
In 1920s they launched a shoe company together in their mother’s laundry room. Initially it was named named “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory”.
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2. Adolf Dassler was a thoughtful craftsman who designed and made shoes, while is brother Rudolf Dassler was a confident salesman.
3. In 1936 Olympics Dassler shoes adorned the feet of gold-medal-winning Olympians and their business boomed.
4. As the sales started getting spikes, so the tension between the two brothers.
The two brothers had a fight and Rudolf decided to leave that company and start his own business. He then launched Puma. Adolf changed the name of his business too. He called it Adidas.
5. During the year when these brothers were fighting about their own factory, the each villagers chose a side either Puma or Adidas.
When they met each other, the only thing they used to do was looking if they wore Puma or Adidas and then they decide if you were their friend or not.
6. There were two rival football clubs one was “ASV Herzogenaurach club which was sponsored by Adidas.
7. And “1 FC Herzogenaurach” which got sponsor from Puma.
8. Puma was the first shoe manufacturer to use the technology of advanced vulcanization production technique in which the sole and shaft of shoe are bonded.
9. Adidas is the second largest manufacturer of sport shoe in the world after Nike.
10. Adidas designed its logo to show the Adidas diversity in the world. So they designed Trefoil logo.
11. Rudolf wanted that his shoes should embody the characteristics of a Puma cat; speed, strength, endurance and agility.
These are the qualities that a successful athlete needs.
12. The design of Adidas shoes which contains three strips are for stability.
They were used on shoes to provide support and stability around the mid-foot.
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13. Adidas owns a very renowned company called Reebok, along with shoe brand Rockport.
In August 2005, Adidas acquired Reebok but maintained operations under separate brand names. The deal was worth $3.8 billion.
14. Puma was the biggest team supplier at the Football World Cup in Germany in 2006.
15. Adolf Dassler died on 6th September, 1978 in Germany.
He died because of Congestive Heart failure.He was given the title of “Chef”(boss). After his death no one at Adidas was ever referred to as “Chef”.
16. Rudolf Dassler left the world on 27th October, 1974 in Germany.
He died because of Lung Cancer.
17. They were buried in the same cemetery but very far from each other. In their life they never reconciled.
18. After 60 years employees of both companies shook hands and stepped out to play a football game in support of the Peace One Day Organization which has chosen September 21 as an annual non-violence day.
19. But despite of friendly handshakes, it will take more than one game of soccer to bury the hatchet.
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