Three Stripes

Three Stripes is a trademark owned by Adidas and identified with three parallel lines, most often placed along the sides of athletic footwear or incorporated into sports apparel. It is one of the most recognizable visual marks in the global sporting-goods industry and has come to stand for Adidas itself as much as for individual products. Adidas historically described itself through the mark, including the phrase “the three stripe company,” while consumers and commentators have often used “the three stripes” as a shorthand name for the brand. The history of the design predates its formal association with Adidas. Finnish athletic-footwear company Karhu Sports used three stripes on footwear in the 1940s; a pair held by the Finnish Sport Museum is cited in accounts of the mark’s early use. Adidas founder Adolf Dassler is also associated with the creation and adoption of the design. Adidas incorporated three-stripe designs into footwear registered in 1949, the year generally associated with the foundation of Adidas. In 1952, after the Helsinki Olympic Games, Adidas acquired the branding from Karhu Sports in a transaction described as involving two bottles of whiskey and approximately €1,600. The mark has appeared in changing forms throughout Adidas’s visual history. The Trefoil logo was designed in 1971 and introduced in 1972 with the SL 72 footwear model, in time for the Munich Olympic Games. In 1997 Adidas introduced a separate “three bars” logo, designed by creative director Peter Moore and initially associated with the Equipment product range. These symbols complemented rather than erased the continuing use of parallel stripes on footwear and clothing. Three Stripes has also been central to Adidas’s sports-marketing and trademark-protection strategy. The company has repeatedly argued that the stripes are not merely decorative but function as a source identifier. That position has produced disputes with sporting bodies over the size and placement of commercial marks on uniforms, as well as litigation against retailers and apparel and footwear companies using two or more similar stripes. Several cases were settled, while others produced different results in national and European courts. The European Court of Justice held in 2008 that two-stripe designs could, in appropriate circumstances, infringe Adidas’s mark. Conversely, a 2019 decision by the EU General Court upheld the cancellation of a broad European Union registration because Adidas had not demonstrated sufficient distinctiveness for the specific configuration at issue. The design has extended beyond formal product branding into popular culture. It has been referenced in music, including Lady Sovereign’s 2006 song “Hoodie,” and became strongly associated with the stereotypical Russian gopnik image and hardbass culture. In commercial terms, the mark remains a core visual asset of Adidas, appearing across performance products, lifestyle footwear, sportswear, team kits, and collaborations. Its legal history demonstrates the continuing tension between protecting a famous brand symbol and preserving common geometric stripes for competitors and the public to use.

The Three Stripes is a trademark associated with Adidas, consisting of three parallel lines that commonly appear on the sides of shoes and across sportswear. The symbol is both a product detail and a corporate identifier: Adidas has used it to communicate continuity across performance footwear, apparel, team uniforms, and lifestyle products, while the public has frequently treated the stripes as a visual abbreviation for the Adidas brand. The design’s early history is contested and involves Finnish footwear maker Karhu Sports. Footwear from the 1940s bearing three stripes is held by the Finnish Sport Museum. Adidas founder Adolf Dassler is credited in Adidas-oriented accounts with creating or adopting the design, and footwear designs registered in 1949 included three stripes along the side. The year 1949 is also associated with the establishment of Adidas. In 1952, following the Helsinki Olympic Games, Adidas acquired the signature branding from Karhu Sports in a transaction reported as costing two bottles of whiskey and the equivalent of approximately €1,600. From that point, the stripes became a persistent element of Adidas footwear design and identity. Adidas developed other major visual symbols alongside the stripes. The Trefoil was designed in 1971 and introduced in 1972 with the Adidas SL 72. In 1997 the company introduced a separate three-bars logo created by creative director Peter Moore, initially for the Equipment range. These changes reflected shifts in product architecture and brand presentation, but did not eliminate the traditional stripes from Adidas products. The mark became particularly important in sports sponsorship and uniform regulation. In 1998 Adidas sued the NCAA over restrictions on the size and number of commercial logos allowed on team uniforms. The company withdrew the action and subsequently worked with the organization on guidelines defining acceptable uses of the Three Stripes. A further dispute arose in the mid-2000s when rival sports-goods companies complained to the IOC about the amount of apparel space occupied by Adidas stripes. Adidas maintained that the device was a design feature rather than a conventional logo, although the Olympic movement prohibited the relevant branding approach beginning with the 2006 Winter Games. Adidas responded at those Games with a modified arrangement combining stripes and the number three. Restrictions affecting Adidas stripes also appeared in tennis and football. Adidas sued tennis authorities in 2006 over manufacturer-identification limits, while UEFA and FIFA rules adopted sleeve restrictions that prevented continuous stripes from running down the sleeves of certain competition shirts. Trademark enforcement has been a recurring part of the mark’s history. Adidas has pursued or settled disputes involving retailers and fashion and footwear companies including Walmart, Polo Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Kmart, Payless ShoeSource, Aldo, and others. European litigation concerning Marca Mode produced differing outcomes over time. A 2007 Dutch Supreme Court decision found that Marca’s two stripes did not infringe the Adidas mark in that case, while a 2008 European Court of Justice ruling established that two stripes could infringe where the overall circumstances created a relevant association or likelihood of confusion. Adidas also obtained a European Union registration in 2014, but the EUIPO annulled it in 2016 for lack of sufficient distinctiveness, and the EU General Court upheld that result in 2019. Outside courtrooms and sporting venues, the Three Stripes has entered popular culture. Lady Sovereign referred to the trademark in the song “Hoodie,” released in 2006. The design also became linked to the Russian gopnik stereotype and hardbass culture, where Adidas clothing and the “three-striped brand” became recognizable cultural signifiers. Today the Three Stripes remains an active Adidas trademark and a central component of the company’s visual language, although the precise legal scope of protection depends on the configuration, product category, jurisdiction, and surrounding design elements.

• 2019

  EU General Court upholds cancellation

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  The EU General Court upheld the EUIPO’s decision concerning the lack of demonstrated distinctive character.

• 2016

  EUIPO annuls registration

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  The EUIPO annulled the 2014 registration after finding that the mark had not been shown to be sufficiently distinctive.

• 2014

  Three-stripe design registered at EU level

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Adidas successfully registered the relevant three-stripe design as a European Union trademark.

• 1998

  NCAA trademark dispute resolved through guidelines

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  After Adidas withdrew its lawsuit against the NCAA, the organizations established guidelines for acceptable three-stripe uses on team apparel.

• 1997

  Three-bars logo introduced for Equipment

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Adidas introduced a three-bars logo designed by Peter Moore, initially for the Equipment product range.

• 1972

  Trefoil introduced with Adidas SL 72

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  The Trefoil debuted with the Adidas SL 72 around the Munich Olympic Games, complementing the established Three Stripes identity.

• 1971

  Trefoil logo designed

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Adidas designed the Trefoil as an additional brand symbol.

• 1952

  Adidas acquires signature stripe branding from Karhu Sports

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Following the Helsinki Olympics, Adidas acquired the stripe branding associated with Finnish footwear company Karhu Sports in a transaction reported to involve whiskey and approximately €1,600.

• 1949

  Three-stripe footwear designs registered by Adidas

  [1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Adidas footwear designs incorporating three stripes along the side were registered, establishing the mark near the beginning of the Adidas brand’s history.

A highly recognizable Adidas source identifier associated with athletic performance, sports culture, streetwear, and the company’s heritage.

• Athletic and lifestyle footwear · 1949

  Adidas footwear with Three Stripes

  The Three Stripes most commonly appear as parallel side panels or overlays on Adidas footwear. The treatment spans early athletic shoes, performance trainers, football footwear, tennis shoes, and lifestyle sneakers. Depending on the model, the stripes may be stitched, printed, molded, perforated, or formed from contrasting materials. Their function is simultaneously decorative and brand-identifying, making the shoe recognizable even when the Adidas wordmark is small or absent.

• Sports apparel

  Adidas sportswear

  Adidas uses parallel stripes across tracksuits, jackets, trousers, jerseys, shirts, and other sportswear. Applications include sleeve panels, shoulder trims, leg inserts, and repeated fabric treatments. Rules governing competition apparel have sometimes restricted continuous stripe placement, but the motif remains widely used in training, lifestyle, and recreational clothing. The range connects Adidas’s heritage in athletic wear with its broader streetwear and fashion presence.

• Team uniforms

  Adidas team and competition apparel

  Three-stripe branding appears on team kits and competition clothing supplied by Adidas. Its placement and size are subject to rules issued by bodies such as UEFA, FIFA, the IOC, tennis organizations, and collegiate sports authorities. Regulatory restrictions have periodically required modified stripe arrangements or designated logo zones, making team apparel an important setting for disputes over the boundary between trademark use and garment design.

• 2016

  EUIPO cancels a European Union Three Stripes registrationOther

  Background

  Adidas had obtained a European Union registration for a three-stripe configuration in 2014, but the distinctiveness of the specific mark was challenged.

  Action taken

  The EUIPO annulled the registration on the ground that Adidas had not established sufficient distinctive character.

  Aftermath

  The cancellation was upheld by the EU General Court in 2019, limiting protection for that particular registration without eliminating Adidas’s broader trademark portfolio or rights in other configurations.

  Source

• 2008

  European Court of Justice clarifies potential infringement by two stripesOther

  Background

  Adidas pursued protection against similar stripe arrangements, while competitors argued that simple stripe designs should remain available for general use.

  Action taken

  The European Court of Justice ruled in litigation involving Adidas and several retailers that two stripes could infringe the Three Stripes trademark in appropriate circumstances.

  Aftermath

  The ruling strengthened the possibility of enforcement against similar designs, while leaving the assessment dependent on the relevant mark, goods, jurisdiction, and overall circumstances.

  Source

• 2006

  Adidas challenges tennis identification restrictionsOther

  Background

  Tennis authorities placed restrictions on the size and placement of manufacturer identifications on player apparel, affecting Adidas’s use of its stripes.

  Action taken

  Adidas filed legal proceedings against the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, other Grand Slam tournaments, and the International Tennis Federation.

  Aftermath

  The dispute formed part of a broader conflict between Adidas’s trademark presentation and sports-governing-body uniform rules; the supplied material does not specify a final outcome.

  Source

• 2019

  EU General Court upholds cancellation of Adidas stripe registration[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit

  The EU General Court upheld the EUIPO decision, concluding that Adidas had not demonstrated the required distinctive character for the specific mark across the relevant territory.

• 2016

  EUIPO cancels Adidas European Union Three Stripes registration[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit

  The European Union Intellectual Property Office annulled Adidas’s 2014 registration for the relevant three-stripe configuration, finding that the mark had not been shown to possess sufficient distinctiveness.

• 2008

  European Court of Justice rules that two stripes can infringe Adidas trademark[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit

  The European Court of Justice ruled in litigation involving Adidas, Marca Mode, C&A, H&M, and Vendex KBB that a two-stripe design could infringe Adidas’s Three Stripes trademark depending on the circumstances.

• 2008

  Payless ShoeSource damages award in Adidas stripe litigation is reduced[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit

  Adidas prevailed in litigation against Payless ShoeSource concerning stripe designs. A reported damages award of $304.6 million was later reduced to $64.4 million.

• 2006

  Adidas brings litigation over tennis clothing-identification rules[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit · Regulation

  Adidas sued the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, other Grand Slam tournaments, and the International Tennis Federation over restrictions governing the size and placement of manufacturer identifications on player clothing.

• 2004

  Olympic movement restricts Adidas three-stripe branding[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Lawsuit

  Rival sporting-goods manufacturers complained to the International Olympic Committee that Adidas was exceeding the permitted branding area on apparel. Adidas argued that the stripes were a design element rather than a logo. Three-stripe branding was subsequently restricted at Olympic events from the 2006 Winter Games, although Adidas used a modified design combining stripes with the number three.

• 1998

  Adidas withdraws lawsuit against the NCAA over logo restrictions[1]Three stripesen.wikipedia.org

  Lawsuit · Other

  Adidas challenged National Collegiate Athletic Association rules restricting the size and number of commercial marks on team uniforms and apparel. The company later withdrew the suit, and the parties established guidance concerning which three-stripe configurations would constitute use of the Adidas trademark.

1. 1Three stripesen.wikipedia.org