History - Adidas
We started in a wash room and conquered the world. And in-between, we have scored big and also, sometimes, struggled to reach our goals. We have done our best for the best. We have improved and grown. Looking ahead to the future, always remembering where we came from. This is our story.
THE EARLY YEARS 1900 - 1942
Every great story has a beginning. This one started in a small town in Bavaria, Germany. After first steps in his mother’s wash kitchen, Adi Dassler registered the “Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik” in 1924 and embarked on his mission to provide athletes with the best possible equipment. Gold medals in Amsterdam (1928, Lina Radke) and Berlin were first rewards and milestones – and only the start of our story.
FOUNDING FATHER 1949
On August 18, 1949, Adi Dassler started over again at the age of 49, registered the “Adi Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik” and set to work with 47 employees in the small town of Herzogenaurach. In the same year, he registered a shoe that included the registration of the soon-to-become-famous adidas 3-Stripes. From humble beginnings to a global success story – which was accelerated by a miracle …
A MIRACLE IN BERN 1954
Who would have thought that screw-in-studs on lightweight football boots would help write history? When the German national football team faced the unbeatable Hungarians in the 1954 World Cup final, they won so much more than just a trophy. Their unbelievable victory would be heard around the world for decades to come. And it made adidas and its founder a household name on football pitches everywhere.
REEBOK: A BROTHER-TO-BE, STILL MILES AWAY
Two brothers working together for the best of the athlete. Sounds familiar? Well this story started across the channel, miles away from Herzogenaurach. While adidas continued to grow after its own 1954 miracle, two British men by the names of Joe and Jeff Foster gave their grandfather’s company “J.W. Foster and Sons” (founded in 1895) a new name: Reebok. Keep it in mind for now, we will get back to this later.
THE ATHLETES’ TRUST 1968 - 1970
How do you consistently earn the trust of world-class athletes through the decades? Produce innovative products that make them better for once. Adi Dassler’s secret to success had an additional personal ingredient: he met with athletes (some of them even as visitors in Herzogenaurach), listened carefully to what they said and constantly observed what can be improved or even invented to support their needs. The best of the best trusted adidas and its founder from the beginning. And that would not change throughout the decades to come.
BECOMING A TRUE MULTI-SPORTS SPECIALIST 1972 - 1978
From Herzogenaurach to the world: the 3-Stripes kept expanding to more and more sports throughout the years. This is reflected in the broad range of athletes who trust adidas to make them better: besides the usual suspects such as the world’s best football players, like the Argentinean national team, outdoor icon Reinhold Messner climbed mountains in adidas shoes and gymnast Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10, repeatedly.
A BROTHER-TO-BE FINDING ITS WAY – REEBOK ON THE MOVE 1982 - 1989
30 years after Joe and Jeff Foster renamed their grandfather’s company, Reebok was fit to lead. Literally. Following the booming fitness trend, women around the world work out in the Reebok Freestyle while fitness professional Gin Miller became the face of Step Reebok. And that’s not all: THE PUMP innovation hits markets in 1989, making Reebok a household name in other categories as well.
INNOVATION NEVER SLEEPS 1989 - 1994
While the company was still dealing with financial challenges, a new marketing team refocused adidas on what it has been known for years: making athletes better. Some of the most famous adidas innovations, such as Torsion (1989), the Equipment concept (1991), the Streetball campaign (1992) and the Predator football boot (1994), were born in this era.
NEW CENTURY, NEW DIVISIONS 2000s
As the new century started, adidas reinvented the game again. In addition to its sport performance offering, adidas is the first in the industry to introduce a new lifestyle segment, focusing on sports-inspired streetwear. In the years to come, new partnerships with Yohji Yamamoto (2002) and Stella McCartney (2004) were born along with exciting labels such as Y-3 (2003) and Porsche Design Sport (2007).
FINDING NEW TEAMMATES 2009 - 2012
When you are already great, how do you become even better? You keep on training. Or join forces with someone who complements you and your strengths.
In 2011, adidas acquired the outdoor specialist Five Ten, and TaylorMade first the golf company Ashworth in 2009 and then, three years later, the golf equipment company Adams Golf – making the company even stronger for the road ahead.
CREATING THE NEW 2015
In March 2015, the next five-year strategic business plan for the company was presented. 'Creating the New' is the strategy and attitude that leads adidas into the future. The company is working every day to inspire and enable people to harness the power of sport in their lives. The strategy translates that competence in sports into streetwear and fashion because sport is an attitude and a lifestyle. Everything the company does is rooted in sports. As the brown shoe category was not core to this strategy, 2015 saw the divestiture of the Rockport brand. This allowed the company to reduce complexity and focus on the adidas and Reebok brands. These brands connect with consumers; therefore, their success defines the success of the business. With Creating the New, brands are closer to consumers than ever before. To achieve this, the plan is focused on three strategic choices:
Speed: Become the first true fast sports company – fast in satisfying consumer needs, fast in internal decision-making.
Cities: Six key cities in which to grow share of mind, share of market and share of trend are identified: New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, London and Paris.
Open Source: Be the first sports company that invites athletes, consumers and partners to be part of the brands.
FOCUS ON KEY COMPETENCIES 2017
With the divestiture of its hockey brand CCM and its golf brands TaylorMade, Adams Golf and Ashworth the company further contributed to its strategy “Creating the New” and focused on its core competencies in footwear and apparel and its major brands adidas and Reebok.