Puma
Puma is an international athletic company based out of Germany that produces high quality footwear and sports clothing. Puma is well known for its soccer shoes, though it produces many more styles. The company sponsors many sporting events and some of the biggest athletes in sports today.
Brand History
The history of Puma is an interesting one. Rudolph and Adi Dassler started a shoe company in 1924 called Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. Their father had worked in a shoe factory, which had inspired the brothers’ interest in shoes. The factory was ran out of their mother’s laundry shop, and it is said the brothers used a stationary bicycle to generate power to run their equipment. This company would later become Puma.
In 1936 Adi Dassler drove to Olympic Village with a bag full of shoe spikes. He convinced the American sprinter Jesse Owens to wear their innovative spikes, and Owens went on to win four gold medals, bringing global attention to the Dassler brothers’ invention.
However, soon World War II began and both brothers joined the Nazi party. During the war, although the reason is not completely known, the Rudolph and Adi grew apart. It is believed that the falling out had something to do with political views. Rudolph was at one point caught by the Americans, and blamed his brother for turning him in, which only worsened their relationship.
The result of this war was a split shoe business. Adi Dassler founded the company Adidas (ADI DASsler) and Rudolph became the sole owner of their old company, which he renamed Ruda. However, he soon after changed the name again to Puma. The brother’s companies were then constant rivals and fought for sponsorship of popular athletes.
Although both businesses have become enormously successful and have grown to become huge international businesses, the brothers never forgave one another and are now buried at opposite ends of the same cemetery.
The company began being publically traded in 1986, and has been profitable ever since.