ADIDAS
History
Beginnings
Adolf ("Adi") Dassler started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen after his return from World War I. In 1924, his brother Rudolf (Rudi) Dassler joined the business which became Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) and did well - selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II.
However the brothers did not get along well, and in 1948 they split up, with Rudi forming Puma, and Adi forming adidas.
The company formally registered as adidas AG (with lower case lettering) on 18 August 1949. The phrase All Day I Dream About Sports is used as a retronym for adidas. However, the name is actually a portmanteau from "Adi" (a nickname for Adolf) and "Das" (from "Dassler").
Products
Football
One of the main focuses of Adidas is football kit and associated equipment. Their football boots, team kits, and warm up suits are widely used by top professional club teams. Adidas also provides apparel and equipment for all teams in Major League Soccer. Adidas remain a major player in the supply of team kits for international football teams. Current examples include France, Germany, Greece, Romania, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Russia and Nigeria. The company has been an innovator in the area of footwear for the sport with notable examples including development of the Copa Mondial moulded boot used for matches on firm dry pitches for almost forty years. The studded equivalent was named World Cup follow in celebration of the 1978 tournament won by