Adidas
Adidas is a German'based sports goods company. Adidas is now part of the Adidas Grou, which consists of the core Adidas brand as well as Reebok, Taylormade-adidas, and Rockport. Today the company manufactures sneakers as well as other sports apparel. Today Adidas is Europe's largest sportswear manufacturer and the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world.
Brand History
Adidas's origins date back to the 1920s when brothers Adolph and Rudolf Dassler began selling training shoes in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The brothers success grew, and their atheletic shoes became well-known and well-regarded. The Dassler brand operated for some time, but finally split up due to an argument between the brothers. After the split the pair went on to start two of the most iconic brands in the athletic industry, with Rudolph forming Puma, and Adolph founding Adidas.
Adolph used his name "Adi" and the first three letters of "Dassler" to form Adidas. Soon after the company's formation, the now-famous three stripe logo was purchased from Finnish sports brand Karhu for the equivalent of 1600 euros and two bottles of whiskey.
Adolph Dassler died in 1972, but the Adidas brand remained in the family. Upon Adolph's death, his wife Kathe took control of the company, which she operated until she died in 1984. Then, Dassler's oldest son Horst took over the company, but he too died three years later. To this day, the company is still operated by the Dassler family. Today, the company is operated under three sub-brands - Adidas Originals, Adidas Performance, and Y-3.