Adidas and Puma, now iconic names in athletic apparel, actually began as a single family business before turning into intense rivals. Fashion Illiteracy has explored their history and is here to share the full story with its readers.
The Dassler Company
It all began with a family business in the German town of Herzogenaurach in the early 20th century. Christoph Dassler, who worked in a shoe factory, decided to start his own business together with several of his children.
In the 1920s, following World War I, they began producing training shoes for athletes with disabilities as well as house slippers. The soles were made from old tires, and the uppers were sewn from repurposed military uniforms.
The brothers Adolf and Rudolf were especially active in the business. Adolf (Adi) focused on production, while Rudolf handled sales. Together, they officially registered their company.
In 1925, Adolf created the earliest version of football boots with spikes. Due to high demand, the brothers built a factory with 25 employees the following year.
They continuously improved their footwear, and by 1928 their products were being used at the Olympic Games. Notably, German runner Lina Radke wore their shoes when she set a record and won a gold medal. In later years, their presence at the Olympics grew — particularly in 1932 and 1936. At the Olympics in Berlin, Jesse Owens, a standout in track and field, clinched four golds and broke five records — all while wearing Dassler footwear. It was also the first time the company’s trademark — two stripes — appeared on the footwear.
In 1934, Adolf married Katharina Meritz, daughter of a shoe designer. The couple had several children.
The business expanded rapidly, and in 1938, a second factory opened. Production reached 1,000 pairs of shoes daily.
The War Years
Both brothers were members of the Nazi Party and considered committed supporters. Nevertheless, the government confiscated their factories, and both Adolf and Rudolf were drafted into the army.
Attempts to repurpose the factories for weapons manufacturing failed due to the equipment’s unsuitability. A year later, Adolf was recalled from the front to resume shoe production for the military.
When American forces occupied the town, Rudolf was imprisoned in a POW camp. As part of reparations, the company shipped one thousand ice skates to the U.S., but in return received outdated American military gear.
Rudolf was released in 1946. The business was in poor shape — only 47 workers remained, working for firewood, yarn, or goods in kind.
The Brothers’ Feud and the Founding of Puma and Adidas
In 1948, following the death of their father, the brothers had a falling-out and split the company. Adolf took over the old factory, and Rudolf got the new one. They agreed not to use the Dassler name or logo. Thus, the once-renowned Dassler company was dissolved.
The cause of the conflict remains unknown. One theory suggests that Rudolf never forgave Adolf for not attempting to free him from the POW camp, despite his connections with American officers. However, this is just speculation — the brothers never disclosed the reason, and only ever met again in court.
Each brother went on to found his own company. Adolf initially named his brand Addas, later changing it to Adidas — a combination of his short name and surname, Adi Dassler. A popular myth claims the name stands for “All Day I Dream About Sport,” but that slogan was invented much later.
Rudolf first called his firm Ruda, later rebranding it as Puma — the name we know today.
Interestingly, Adolf partially broke their agreement not to use family symbols: the original Dassler logo featured two stripes, while Adidas trademarked three. The three stripes remain a recognizable symbol to this day.
Further Growth, Crises, and the Present State of the Companies
Both companies grew to become global leaders in sportswear. From the 1950s onward, they expanded rapidly, with their products featured in Olympic Games. In addition to footwear, they began producing sportswear and accessories.
Puma
By the 1960s, Puma was available in 100 countries and opened new facilities, including one in Austria. However, in 1974, founder Rudolf passed away, and his son Armin inherited the business.
In 1991, the Swedish investment group Proventus acquired full ownership of the company. However, increased competition and new market players led to losses. Puma tried to reposition itself in a higher price segment by making its products more expensive, but the strategy backfired.
By the mid-1990s, the company had recovered, thanks in part to a new street football tournament and successful advertising campaigns.
Ownership shifted again in 1996, when American investment firm Monarchy/Regency became the largest shareholder. In 2007, the main stakeholder changed to French conglomerate PPR (now Kering). Currently, Kering owns 28% of Puma, and the group is led by François-Henri Pinault.
Puma now generates billions of euros in annual revenue and operates in many global markets.
Adidas
The Adidas brand also experienced remarkable success. Its balls became the official choice for many major championships, and its shoes and gear were worn by top athletes.
In 1972, through an agreement with Leonid Brezhnev, Adidas began supplying gear to the Soviet Olympic team. Their products later became widely available in the USSR.
By the 1970s, Adidas had factories in 24 countries and sales in 150. It held the top position worldwide in the athletic shoe market.
Adi Dassler died in 1978. Initially, his wife took over the company. However, rising competition from Reebok and Nike led to declining profits. In the 1980s, control passed to his children, who sold most shares in 1989 to businessman Bernard Tapie from France.
Tapie’s leadership also struggled — he eventually declared bankruptcy and was implicated in match-fixing and fraud scandals. In 1993, he sold the company.
New CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus, representing a group of French investors, ramped up advertising and moved production to Asia. These changes significantly boosted Adidas’s profitability. Notably, the launch of the Predator football boots brought major success.
By 1996, Adidas had re-established itself at the Olympics. In just a few years, it rose to become the world’s No. 2 sportswear company after Nike — and the leader across Europe.
From 2001, under CEO Herbert Hainer, Adidas began opening retail stores. In 2005, it acquired one of its competitors — Reebok (though in 2021, Reebok was sold to Authentic Brands Group). Today, Adidas has an annual turnover in the tens of billions.
Both Adidas and Puma are now key players in global professional sports and in the retail apparel and footwear market.
Previously, we’ve also covered the histories of brands like LC Waikiki and Victoria’s Secret. Don’t miss out on more fashion history content — follow Fashion Illiteracy on Facebook.
