adidas

adidas is a German multinational sportswear brand headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. Operated by adidas AG, it develops and sells athletic footwear, sports apparel, equipment and accessories for football, running, basketball, training, outdoor activities and other sports, while also maintaining a substantial lifestyle business based on archival designs, streetwear and cultural collaborations. Its products are sold through wholesale partners, adidas retail stores, e-commerce and other direct-to-consumer channels across international markets. The company’s origins lie in the athletic-shoe workshop established by Adolf Dassler in Herzogenaurach. Adolf and his brother Rudolf formalized their joint business as the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory in 1924. Adolf concentrated on technical sports footwear and promoted the shoes through elite competition. The Dassler business gained international attention when American sprinter Jesse Owens wore its spikes at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The brothers separated after a deterioration in their relationship, with Rudolf later establishing Puma. Adolf registered adidas AG on 18 August 1949, deriving the name from his nickname, Adi, and surname, Dassler. adidas built much of its early reputation through football and Olympic sport. The German national team’s use of adidas boots during the 1954 World Cup final became an important moment in the brand’s international development, particularly because the boots used removable studs suited to changing pitch conditions. The company subsequently expanded beyond footwear into team kits, training apparel and sporting accessories. The three-stripes mark, acquired from Finnish company Karhu Sports in 1952, became the central visual symbol of the business. The trefoil was introduced for broader lifestyle and heritage use in the early 1970s, while a performance-oriented three-bars mark later supported the company’s technical product ranges. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, adidas changed from a primarily European athletic-shoe maker into a global sports and lifestyle group. Its portfolio expanded through acquisitions including Salomon, TaylorMade, Reebok, Five Ten and Runtastic, although several of those businesses were later sold or separated. Product and brand development increasingly combined performance technology with fashion, music, street culture and designer partnerships. Examples include adidas by Stella McCartney, collaborations with athletes and clubs, and highly visible footwear franchises such as Samba, Superstar, Stan Smith and Ultraboost. The company has also faced significant strategic and reputational challenges. The sale of Reebok in 2022 reflected portfolio simplification, while the termination of its partnership with Ye in October 2022 ended the Yeezy relationship after controversial public remarks by the artist. adidas subsequently managed remaining Yeezy inventory and related commercial consequences. In 2023, Bjørn Gulden became chief executive and emphasized restoring product momentum, strengthening wholesale and direct relationships, and rebuilding the brand’s connection with consumers. adidas remains one of the world’s best-known sports brands, combining professional performance credentials with global lifestyle appeal.

adidas began with Adolf Dassler’s athletic-shoe making in Herzogenaurach after the First World War. Rudolf Dassler joined him in 1924, creating the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. The business focused on improving sports footwear, including lighter spiked shoes made with canvas and rubber rather than heavier traditional materials. Its international profile rose when Jesse Owens wore Dassler spikes at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The brothers’ relationship deteriorated after the Second World War and their business split. Rudolf founded the company that became Puma, while Adolf registered adidas AG on 18 August 1949. The division created a long-running commercial rivalry that shaped Herzogenaurach and helped make branded athletic equipment a major consumer industry. adidas’s three-stripes design was acquired from Karhu Sports in 1952. It became a powerful identifying feature across shoes and clothing, later joined by the trefoil heritage logo and the performance three-bars symbol. Football was central to adidas’s postwar expansion. The German national team’s victory in the 1954 World Cup final while wearing adidas boots gave the company international visibility. The brand then developed relationships with clubs, national teams, Olympic athletes and sporting federations, extending from footwear into kits, balls, training garments and accessories. The first major apparel item associated with the company was the Franz Beckenbauer tracksuit, introduced in 1967. Following Adolf Dassler’s death and the later death of his son Horst, adidas experienced ownership and management changes. French businessman Bernard Tapie acquired the company in 1990, and Robert Louis-Dreyfus became chief executive in 1993. Under Louis-Dreyfus, adidas pursued international growth and portfolio expansion. The 1997 acquisition of Salomon added outdoor and winter-sports activities, together with TaylorMade and Maxfli golf businesses. adidas later sold Salomon to Amer Sports in 2005. The company acquired Reebok in 2006, seeking stronger scale in North America and a broader global position. It also invested in product technology, including the Adidas 1 electronically adjustable shoe, and entered digital fitness through the acquisition of Runtastic in 2015. Designer, celebrity, team and cultural partnerships helped adidas broaden its audience beyond organized sport. The adidas by Stella McCartney line, launched in 2004, became a long-running example of the brand’s combination of performance clothing and fashion design. In the 2010s and 2020s, adidas balanced technical innovation with demand for heritage and lifestyle footwear. Samba, Superstar, Stan Smith and other archival models became important cultural products alongside running, football, basketball and training ranges. The company sold TaylorMade in 2017 and Reebok to Authentic Brands Group in 2022. In the same year, it ended its Yeezy partnership with Ye after controversial remarks, creating major inventory and financial-management challenges. Bjørn Gulden became chief executive in January 2023. adidas continues to operate as a global sportswear company with performance and lifestyle divisions, a broad distribution network and a brand identity centered on the three stripes.

1. 2023Bjørn Gulden becomes CEO

   Bjørn Gulden assumed the chief executive role after Kasper Rørsted’s departure.

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2. 2022Reebok divested and Ye partnership ended

   adidas completed the Reebok sale and terminated its Yeezy partnership with Ye.

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3. 2015Runtastic acquired

   adidas acquired fitness-technology company Runtastic.

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4. 2006Reebok acquisition completed

   adidas completed its acquisition of Reebok, expanding its presence in North America and the global athletic market.

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5. 1997Salomon Group acquired

   adidas acquired Salomon, including TaylorMade and Maxfli golf businesses, and adopted the name adidas-Salomon AG.

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6. 1972Trefoil introduced

   The trefoil logo was introduced as a major adidas visual identity for broader product and lifestyle use.

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7. 1954World Cup breakthrough

   The West German team’s use of adidas boots during its 1954 World Cup victory helped build the brand’s football reputation.

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8. 1952Three-stripes mark acquired

   adidas acquired the three-stripes design from Karhu Sports.

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9. 1949adidas AG registered

   Adolf Dassler registered adidas AG on 18 August, establishing the corporate foundation of the brand.

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10. 1936Jesse Owens wears Dassler spikes

    Jesse Owens used Dassler athletic spikes at the Berlin Olympics, increasing international awareness of the shoes.

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11. 1924Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory established

    Adolf and Rudolf Dassler formalized their joint athletic-shoe business in Herzogenaurach.

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A global sports brand combining technical athletic performance, design, heritage and sports-culture relevance.

• Performance footwearAthletic footwear

  Technical shoes for football, running, basketball, training, outdoor sports and other athletic uses. Product design commonly addresses cushioning, stability, traction, responsiveness, weight and sport-specific movement. Major franchises have included Ultraboost, Predator, Adizero and basketball models, although individual products and technologies change over time.

• SportswearApparel1967

  Sports apparel includes jerseys, tracksuits, tops, jackets, shorts, trousers, leggings, sports bras and training layers. The category serves athletes and teams but also functions as everyday clothing, with the three-stripes identity linking technical garments to adidas’s lifestyle business.

• Football equipmentFootball

  Football is a foundational adidas category comprising boots, official match balls, club and national-team kits, goalkeeper products, training wear and accessories. The brand’s visibility in major international competitions has made football one of its most established performance and sponsorship areas.

• Lifestyle footwear and apparelLifestyle

  Lifestyle products reinterpret adidas sports archives for casual and fashion-oriented use. Samba, Superstar and Stan Smith are prominent examples of footwear with broad cultural recognition, while lifestyle apparel uses the trefoil, three stripes and retro sports styling across streetwear and everyday wardrobes.

• Connected fitness productsDigital fitness2005

  adidas has pursued digital fitness through connected footwear experiments and the acquisition of Runtastic. These activities extend the brand beyond physical goods into exercise tracking, training content and digital engagement.

• 2015McDonald’s All-American uniforms

  United States

  adidas supplied uniforms for the McDonald’s All-American high-school basketball event, using lightweight, breathable construction associated with its basketball apparel.

  Outcome. Reinforced adidas visibility in American youth basketball.

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• 2004adidas by Stella McCartney

  International

  adidas launched a women’s sports-performance collection with designer Stella McCartney, combining technical sports apparel with fashion design and helping broaden the brand’s reach among women’s consumers.

  Outcome. Created a long-running performance-fashion partnership.

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• 1954World Cup football performance promotion

  Germany · Europe · International football markets

  The West German national team wore adidas boots during its 1954 World Cup campaign, including the final. The boots’ removable studs became associated with adaptability and technical football performance.

  Outcome. Strengthened adidas’s international football positioning.

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• 1936Olympic athlete product seeding

  United States · Germany · International sports markets

  Dassler supplied and promoted handmade athletic spikes to elite competitors, including Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Owens’s success gave the young athletic-shoe business substantial international visibility.

  Outcome. Helped establish the Dassler name in competitive athletics.

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• 2023Leadership transition under Bjørn GuldenStrategy

  adidas announced a leadership change following the planned departure of Kasper Rørsted amid a period of strategic and brand pressure.

  What changed. Bjørn Gulden became chief executive in January 2023.

  Aftermath. The new leadership focused on restoring product relevance, improving commercial execution and rebuilding relationships with consumers and partners.

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• 2022End Ye partnership and discontinue Yeezy productionStrategy

  Controversial public remarks by Ye created reputational and commercial pressure on the partnership.

  What changed. adidas immediately terminated the partnership and stopped producing Yeezy products.

  Aftermath. The company managed remaining inventory and disclosed continuing commercial consequences associated with the discontinued business.

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• 2006Acquire ReebokM&A

  adidas aimed to increase scale and competitiveness, particularly in North America.

  What changed. The company completed the acquisition of Reebok.

  Aftermath. Reebok was subsequently sold to Authentic Brands Group in 2022.

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• 1997Acquire Salomon GroupM&A

  adidas sought to broaden its sports portfolio into outdoor, winter sports and golf.

  What changed. The company acquired Salomon, gaining businesses including TaylorMade and Maxfli, and changed its corporate name to adidas-Salomon AG.

  Aftermath. The portfolio was later simplified: Salomon was sold in 2005 and TaylorMade was sold in 2017.

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• 2022Termination of Ye and Yeezy partnershipControversy

  adidas ended its relationship with Ye after controversial public statements by the artist. The decision ended production of Yeezy products and created continuing questions concerning inventory, commercial obligations and financial exposure.

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• 2025adidas extends the “You Got This” campaign around sideline pressure

  The campaign extension used athlete and mentor stories to address self-doubt and pressure in sport, supported by video, out-of-home, digital, social and retail activity.

  Campaign
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• 2025Adidas forecast slower growth and cautious operating-profit outlook

  The company indicated that currency-neutral sales growth would be below the strong 2024 rate and issued a cautious operating-profit outlook amid geopolitical and tariff uncertainty.

  Other
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• 2024Adidas launches Ultraboost 5 campaign in Israel with Kim Or Azoulay

  The Israeli launch of the Ultraboost 5 running shoe used television presenter and actress Kim Or Azoulay as a local campaign partner and highlighted the Tel Aviv adidas Runners community. The campaign emphasized revised cushioning, energy return, and the use of recycled materials.

  Product launchCampaign
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• 2024Greater China returns to double-digit growth

  Reporting on adidas’s 2024 results described renewed growth in Greater China, supported by local product development, closer partner engagement and stronger footwear performance.

  Other
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• 2024Remaining Yeezy inventory is cleared

  The company reported that remaining Yeezy inventory had been sold by the fourth quarter of 2024, closing a prolonged inventory-management episode.

  Product generation
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• 2024Adidas Japan appointed Kohei Hagio as representative director

  Adidas Japan announced Hagio’s appointment effective 15 September 2024, citing his experience across product development, sales, retail, and sports marketing.

  Leadership change
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• 2024Adidas completed remaining Yeezy inventory sales

  Adidas reported that the remaining Yeezy inventory had been sold during 2024 after the termination of its relationship with Ye.

  Product generationOther
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• 2023Bjørn Gulden begins tenure as adidas chief executive

  Bjørn Gulden took office at the start of 2023 and led a reset focused on sport, product franchises, inventory discipline, wholesale relationships and local market execution.

  Leadership change
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• 2023Adidas and Manchester United extended their sponsorship agreement

  Manchester United announced a new ten-year extension of its sponsorship relationship with Adidas.

  Other
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• 2022Bjørn Gulden appointed chief executive

  adidas announced that Kasper Rørsted would leave the chief executive role and that Bjørn Gulden would succeed him in 2023.

  Leadership change
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• 2022adidas ends Yeezy partnership and manages remaining inventory

  The termination of the Yeezy relationship created a major inventory and portfolio-management challenge. adidas subsequently sold remaining products rather than continuing the collaboration.

  Product generation
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• 2022Adidas appointed Bjorn Gulden as chief executive officer

  Adidas announced that Bjorn Gulden, then chief executive of Puma, would become CEO from 1 January 2023, following Kasper Rorsted’s departure.

  Leadership change
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• 2021adidas announces Reebok sale

  adidas announced an agreement to sell Reebok to Authentic Brands Group, completing the transaction in 2022.

  M&A
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• 2021adidas bans fur from products

  The company announced a ban on fur in its products following pressure from animal-welfare organizations.

  Regulation
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• 2015adidas acquires Runtastic

  adidas acquired fitness-technology company Runtastic to expand its digital and connected-fitness capabilities.

  M&A
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1. Adidas
2. adidas history
3. adidas terminates partnership with Ye
4. Adidas apologizes over Bella Hadid SL 72 campaign controversy
5. Bella Hadid responds after removal from SL 72 campaign
6. Termination of Yeezy relationship after Ye’s public remarks
7. adidas extends the “You Got This” campaign around sideline pressure
8. Adidas forecast slower growth and cautious operating-profit outlook
9. Adidas launches Ultraboost 5 campaign in Israel with Kim Or Azoulay
10. Greater China returns to double-digit growth
11. Adidas Japan appointed Kohei Hagio as representative director
12. Bjørn Gulden begins tenure as adidas chief executive
13. Adidas and Manchester United extended their sponsorship agreement
14. Adidas appointed Bjorn Gulden as chief executive officer