adidas – Celebrating 70 Years

For seven decades, adidas has been a leader in the sporting goods industry, sparking trends across the globe, transcending sport and creating a lifestyle. The brand has accomplished victories, both in sports and in business, all while staying true to its founder’s vision. Now, the employees strive to be “Modern day Dasslers,” but the 3-Stripes brand began with one man: Adi Dassler.

Fun Facts:

• The name adidas takes Adi’s nickname and combines it with part of his last name, creating adi-das. It's pronounced "AH-dee-dahs," with emphasis on the first syllable.
• Adi wanted to make sure his shoes were instantly recognizable from a distance. Two stripes were used during the Dassler Brothers days, and he wanted a clean break from the past. Four was too many. Three was just right, thus the 3-Stripes were born.

Adi Dassler firmly believed that participation and success in sport could be enhanced by improved equipment. His obsession for sport and the outdoors began at a young age, and he dabbled in virtually everything. He was an accomplished high jumper, a good skier as well as football (soccer) and tennis player. He actively participated in and observed all sports with a fascination and dedication that blossomed into a business.

adidas was founded officially in 1949, nearly 70 years ago. But Adi’s story began long before with the creation of the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory in 1924. Just one year later, Adi, at only 25 years old, began submitting hundreds of shoe patents for what would eventually become his legacy.

Fun Facts:

• Adi Dassler’s first profession was a baker at the age of 14.
• Adi Dassler’s father, Christoph, was also a shoemaker.

adidas has created some of the most iconic shoes in history, both on and off the court. The Stan Smith is adidas’ best-selling lifestyle shoe. Many people who wear the shoes may not know Stan Smith is an excellent tennis player and this shoe was designed for on-court performance, not street wear. The crossover appeal of adidas product has really helped to shape sport as a lifestyle.

Fun Fact: The Billie Jean King was not only the first tennis shoe in full color, but it was also the first tennis shoe designed specifically for women.

When you visit Herzogenaurach, a small town in Bavaria, Germany, you wouldn’t expect to find one of the largest sports brands in the world. The town is quaint, retaining its original charm and origin of shoemaking while simultaneously hosting both adidas' and Puma’s global headquarters.

Fun Fact: Puma was started by Adi's brother, Rudolf Dassler, after Rudolf decided to leave adidas due to family differences.

Just a few miles from town lies adidas’ World of Sports. Spanning over 54 acres, the global headquarters is almost a city of its own and is filled with creators from all over the globe. adidas always strives to create, and it’s no different for its work atmosphere. It recently opened its latest building, Arena, which offers a collaborative, flexible working environment for its employees with open desks and lockers to store belongings. The aim is to push employees outside of routine and into collaboration.

As we walked around the World of Sports, it was clear adidas invests in its creative environments, providing employees with endless opportunities for inspiration. Our favorite space? The MakerLab, which is a space designated for employees to unleash their inner crafter. Vibrant fabrics and textures, embroidered logos and ultimately all the equipment you would need to create any piece of apparel or shoes fill this space. This area isn’t reserved just for designers. ALL employees are given free rein to explore their inner creativity and make whatever they please, whether it’s developing a new concept or simply a form of meditation and creative refresh.

adidas values more than creative spaces. A World of Sports wouldn’t be complete without a full array of sporting facilities. As you cruise the campus, you’ll find a football (soccer) stadium, beach volleyball, basketball and tennis courts. adidas offers fitness classes and has a full gym, and most employees bike or enjoy running during lunch breaks. It truly is a sports fanatic’s dream.

In addition to its global headquarters in Germany, adidas has offices all over the world, including its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and an especially cool space in New York called Brooklyn Creator Farm, where they design for the future.

adidas has worked with some of the greatest creators in music, art, fashion and technology. It uses these relationships to bring fresh energy and creativity to the brand. adidas Tennis is no exception. We've seen some of the boldest collections in tennis from collaborations with Stella McCartney, Pharrell Williams and Yohji Yamamoto (Y-3). Its most recent collaboration was with Parley. Debuting at the 2019 Australian Open, this effort focused on reusing plastic waste, preventing it from entering our oceans and turning that threat into thread for apparel and footwear.

To read more about adidas' sustainability practices, click here.

adidas' dedication to creativity, social responsibility, collaboration and ultimately great products continues to set the brand apart. We look forward to seeing what the "Modern day Dasslers" create next for adidas tennis.