About Adidas
Adidas, one of the leading sports brands in the world, turned 60
on 18th august 2009. It still seems an unlikely story: a modest
shoemaker from a small rural town in Germany develops a range of
sports products so original and so perfect that they are sought by
athletes from all over the world. As he indulged his passion for
sport and for innovation, he created a brand as great as any in the
world. An unlikely story, but not an impossible one.Becasue for him
Impossible was nothing. For Adidas, it all started with shoes.
Shoes to play in. Shoes to play better in. Shoes to win in. Shoes
that, one day, would tread wembley and Wimbledon, win medals at the
Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. Athletes would wear them,
record-breakers, and champions. Today, Adidas is one of the worlds
leading brands, recognized and respected. Passion, authenticity,
innovation, inspiration, honesty and commitment that is what Adidas
means. Above all, it is the stories that made Adi Dasslers idea and
principle no athlete left behind come to life on the biggest sports
stages around the world.
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Adidas History
Adolf Dassler was inspired by a single idea when he made his
first shoes in 1920, at the age of just 20. His vision was to
provide every athlete with the best footwear for his respective
discipline. It was this principle that guided him right up until
his death in 1978. 700 patents and other industrial property rights
worldwide are proof of his permanent quest for perfection. His
first shoe, made from the few materials available in the difficult
post-war period, was produced from canvas. A passionate athlete
himself, from the very beginning Adi Dassler was in close contact
with sports participants and was always present in person at
important sports events. Adi Dassler focused his work on the
classic disciplines of track and field. Athletes wore special shoes
from his workshop for the first time at the 1928 Olympic Games in
Amsterdam. In the mid 1920s he was already experimenting with
spikes. In the mid 1930s Adi Dassler was already making 30
different shoes for eleven sports, and he had a workforce of almost
100 employees. In less than two decades adidas advanced to become
the worlds leading sports shoe manufacturer. After the turmoil of
the Second World War, Adi Dassler made a fresh start. In 1947, with
47 workers, he began putting into practice the knowledge gained
from the pre-war period and also new ideas. Adi Dassler made the
first post-war sports shoes using canvas and rubber from American
fuel tanks. In 1948 he introduced adidas as the company name, a
combination of his own first and last name. One year later he
registered the - to this day - unmistakable Three Stripes. The
breakthrough came for Adi Dassler when Germany won the Soccer World
Cup in 1954. In the legendary Final against Hungary, the German
team wore boots with screw-in studs by adidas. Parallel to the
rapid developments in sport, Adi Dassler strove to specialize and
optimize his products. Adi Dassler was the first entrepreneur to
use sports promotion in order to make the public aware of his
innovations. He started using well-known athletes as advertising
for his products. Many famous athletes such as Jesse Owens,
Muhammad Ali, Max Schmeling, Sepp Herberger and Franz Beckenbauer
counted themselves among the friends of the Dassler Family.
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Adidas Leadership The Executive Board is composed of four
members who reflect the diversity and internationality of the
Group. Each member is responsible for a major business area within
the Group. Herbert Hainer CEO
Mr. Herbert Hainer was Born in 1954 in Dingolfing (Bavaria),and
holds a Degree in Business Studies. Prior to Adidas he was working
with Procter and Gamble as a Division Manager Sales and Marketing.
He Joined Adidas in 1987 and held the responsibility as the sales
Director Hardware (Bags, Rackets, Balls) and later the portfolio
was altered to (Footwear, Textiles, Hardware). Further he served as
the National sales director between 1991 till 1993; during
1996-1997 he became the Senior Vice President Region Europe,
Africa, Middle East. From Jan 2001 till March 2001 he was the
deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, He became the CEO of
Addidas AG* In march 2001.He has been a member of the executive
since march 1997 and was raised to the Position of Deputy chairman
Of the board. Glenn Executive Board Member of Addidas AG
(Responsible for Global Operations) Bennett
Born In 1963 in N/new Hampshire, USA Mr. Glenn Bennett holds a
degree in computer science. Prior to Addidas he was working with
Reebok International Ltd. from 1983 to 1993 where he lastly held
the position of Director of Worldwide Development. During 1993 to
1994 he was the head of world wide development at Addidas AG and
later became the senior vice president of footwear operations.
Currently Mr. Glenn Bennett is the Member of the executive Board
responsible for global operations.
Robin J. Executive Board Member of Addidas AG (Responsible for
finance)
Stalker
Mr. Robin J. Stalker was born in 1958 in Palmerston North, New
Zealand and is a Chartered Accountant responsible for financial
operations. Prior to Adidas Mr.Robin J.Stalker has worked for
Arthur Young as an accountant during 1982 1986,later he moved on to
work with united International pictures as a controller, and also
was at Warner Bros. International as the Director of Operations
during 1989-1992. He also has worked as a Self Employed Consultant
with clients including UCI / Hewitt Group It was only during
1996-1997 that he finally joined Adidas Ag as the Head of Corporate
Services / Reporting and later became the Vice President Group
Reporting & Taxes during 1999 2000. Read More..
Adidas Brand Philosophy Brand Values
Sharing the grand vision of the group, Adidas strives to be the
global leader in the sporting goods industry living with a passion
to build a sporting lifestyle. The brand is very consumer focused
and therefore they continuously improve the quality, look, feel and
image of their products and organizational structures to match and
exceed consumer expectations by providing them the highest value.
With immense innovations and leadership in design the brand always
seeks to help athletes of all skill levels achieve peak performance
with every product they bring to the market. As a global brand
Adidas is socially and environmentally responsible, creative and
financially rewarding for their employees and shareholders. Holding
strong commitments the brand continuously tries to strengthen its
competitive position and products in the market. Dedicated to
consistently deliver outstanding financial results, the brand has
always retained the expectations of its fans world over. Working
with an Endeavour to devote itself fully to the sport culture and
giving it a global flavor of fashion and style, the brand works out
3 major lines which are Adidas Performance, Adidas Original and
Adidas style. Adidas Sport Performance The guiding principle of the
adidas Sport Performance Division is to equip all athletes to
achieve their impossible. adidas Sport Performance brings its
passion for great products to athletes in all sports and mainly
focuses on four key categories globally:football, running, training
and basketball. Adidas Original Personal collections,innovative
style,groundbreaking fashion.Orginals by original is the sum of all
three,pure celebration of originality in footwear and apparel. From
born originals like Mark Gonzales and Nike Nastase, to the music
and style of Missy Elliot and Run DMC, to true champions like David
Beckham and Stan smith the three stripes has been there since the
very beginning. Read More..
Adidas Sport Performance The guiding principle of the adidas
Sport Performance Division is to equip all athletes to achieve
their impossible. adidas Sport Performance brings its passion for
great products to athletes in all sports and mainly focuses on four
key categories globally:football, running, training and
basketball.
Following the core idea that still drives the brand to achieve
he impossible and beyond the performance division has three major
areas to focus,which includes the major featured projects like
Chelsea FC,Brotherhood,Adidas by stella Mccartney,te famous F50i
and the luxurious porsche design sport. While catering to the
sports world the performance division has made many successfull
contributions to major some of the most admired sports of all the
times like basketball,football,golf,tennis,runnning,adidas by
stella mccartney,training and even more like yoga. Adidas
performance has even gone beyond when it comes to delivering
quality to sports,other then the regular deliverables adidas has
gone one step beyond and has introduced rabges of body are
products,eyewear,and watches. Helping the indivisuals by making
their dreams personal,With mi adidas and mi coach adidas has
regularly tried to make the design commmunication interactive.
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Adidas Original Personal collections, innovative style,
groundbreaking fashion. Orginals by original is the sum of all
three,pure celebration of originality in footwear and apparel. From
born originals like Mark Gonzales and Nike Nastase, to the music
and style of Missy Elliot and Run DMC, to true champions like David
Beckham and Stan smith the three stripes has been there since the
very beginning.
Original Moments With Adidas Family Catch the Glimpses....
Jeremy scott As usual,jeremy scott delivers a jaw-dropping
collection of wild styles that are beyond comparison.He touches on
the themes of africa,safari and wait for this one television test
patterns to create a package for guys and girls that is as equally
twisted as it is mesmerizing. Kazuki
Kazuki is the embodiment of japanese streetwear design.his
collection of classic sportswear silhoutte coupled with technical
finishing and materials leaves not a single detail missed.from
futuristic waterproofing and ventilation systems to artisan level
closure systems while keeping the overall look chic and refined.
Beckham and Bond David beckham is an intenational trendsetter,the
style icon has been a part of the adidas family for a long time. He
paired up with James Bond and developed a range of american street
wear collection that is luxurious and comfortable,chic and sporty
properly reflecting the LA lifestyle.
We are the originals
Recent inductee to the rock and roll hall of fame,DMC,teamed up
with japanese beatboxer of fresh flows with an exclusive
performance at the house party. Afra rocked a beat while DMC
delivered this once in a lifetime rendition of My adidas The Ting
tings paint party The ting tings played an exclusive free gig for
fans in their hometown of manchester on Friday the 27th of
februay.The venue was an all white space and every fan who attended
was given a full white adidas originals tracksuit.The duo,armed wih
paint guns,invited fasns to interact creativity with paints and pen
coveringthe entire space with explosion of color and creating a
music and art spectical. A living and breathing mural. Read
More..
Adidas style The Sport Style Division is the home of Originals,
defined as authentic sportswear, the Fashion Group, which is the
future of sportswear, and Style Essentials, the fresh
sport-inspired label made accessible for style-adopting youth.
Together they offer consumers products from street fashion to high
fashion, all uniquely inspired and linked to sport.
Y-3 The Y Stands for Yohji Yamamoto, the 3 represents Adidass
three signature stripes and the sign signifies the bond shared
between the two. October 2002 saw the birth of a new cooperation in
sports and fashion with the launch of the spring summer 2003.Y-3
mens and womens collection. The collaboration between renowned
Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and the authentic sports
brand Adidas has revolutionized the industry and created a new
category within fashion, Addidas represents sports, Yohji Yamamoto
represents design both symbolize true craftsmanship and together
they have developed the future of sportswear, with an emphasis on
form and movement, Yohji Yamamotos signature design aesthetic is
combined with traditional Japanese tailoring. While a utilitarian
inspiration is evident throughout each collection, Y-3 possesses a
technical feel on unexpected silhouettes to provide contemporary
sportswear with a unique look. In 2009, Y-3 is celebrating 60 years
of iconic three stripes. Read More..
Adidas Brand Evolution Evolution The Archive of Success
With a heritage going back to 60 years and a product history
that is prolific, varied and historic this archive provides rare
glimpses of the evolution of the brand that has become global
sporting and cultural mainstay. Right from the beginning Dassler
passion to help individual realize their dream was the main driving
force that made Adi push all the boundaries and go beyond to
achieve the impossible. With shoes like super star and samba
becoming an integral par of everydays life the brand has become the
focal point of sports fashion everywhere. This is not just the
evolution of a brand or a company this is the evolution story of
individuals who dared to dream, how adidas backed them with
consistent technical support have become the moment to watch out
today.
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Adidas Iconic products Story of technical excellence
Super grip (1964)
The super grip first appearing in 1964 was the forerunner to the
superstar and shares many of the instantly recognizable
characteristics that gave the historic shell toe the status of
cultural icon thats still ongoing today. Featuring a plain sock
liner, harder leather synthetic lining in the heels cushioned
insoles and multifunctional tread soles, the super grip was
relatively technically advanced compared to the other models at the
time and quickly established itself in the market due to its high
level of versatility. Even after the introduction of its big
brother the superstar the shoe continued to sell well as and
affordable alternative to its more expensive shell toed successor.
The model displayed here is the earliest known incarnation of the
super grip and displays all the legendary characteristics of the
model. Samba (1965) Originally introduced in 1962, the samba was
the first football-training shoe developed specifically for frozen
pitches but quickly evolved to become the dominant indoor football
shoe for players world wide. The samba pictured here is from circa
1965 and features a distinctive toe guard, sleek kid leather, lower
stitching on the side of the sole and shoehorn, leather lining in
the heels cushioned insoles and clip for the laces. Another
technical highlight was the holes cut from the soles of the shoe to
provide greater traction on indoor football shoe.
This level of detailing ensured the ongoing popularity of the
shoe and the samba is still arguably the most recognizable football
silhouette in the world. The samba has gone on to outgrow its
original purpose as a training shoe earning a special relevance
among the football fan culture and becoming a modern day street
classic in its own right. Tokio (1966)
Initially conceived and intended as a reasonably priced school
sports shoe, the Tokio quickly became thought of as a leisure shoe
and rapidly gained a following among both the style conscious and
fashion led. The tokio was part of the 6-vseries that also included
notable models like the Japan hobby and Nippon. The bootleg model
pictured is constructed from surface calf leather and has simple
lining, keeping in line with the minimal aesthetics of the model.
The vulcanized outer sole with the minimal Aesthetics of the model.
The vulcanized outer sole is made from a durable rubber and the
model pictured features a border that is not present in later
models. Spezial (1968) Coinciding with the dawn of the open era was
a rise in the number of artificial surfaces that games of the
tennis were being played on. This led to seek out the services of
current world number 1, Rod Laver to develop a shoe that could
stand up to the rigors of the new surfaces and the beginnings of
the Spezial were born. The bootleg pictured is an early developed
model and features an upper constructed of a permeable mesh for
maximum breathability and toe box and tongue made of smooth leather
to ensure comfort. The outsole and midsole are both constructed
from a durable rubber to provide maximum traction on the new
synthetic surfaces that were coming into play. Laver continued to
test the shoes and push further development of the Spezial with the
final result being the launch of his own rod laver collection in
1970.
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Adidas Inspiring Stories 60 years of adidas the stories that
still inspire us today
The Decades
1949 1959
On August 18th, 1949, Adi Dassler first registered adidas in the
commercial register (Handelsregister) in Frth (near
Herzogenaurach). The official name of the company back then was
Adolf Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik. First used in 1949, the
3-Stripes would not stay confined to their birthplace
Herzogenaurach but started their victory lap around the world early
on to become the most famous symbol and key identifier of
adidas.
It might not have looked pretty, but when you win three gold
medals in seven days, no one cares about pretty. With his tongue
hanging out while running, Emil Ztopek gained the nickname The
Czech Locomotive during the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games due to this
unique, and not very beautiful, running style. But choosing running
fast over looking good was a good move as his unbelievable
achievement, winning gold in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon
within a week, remains untouched until this day.
Originally developed in the 1950s for frozen pitches, the Samba
quickly evolved to become the dominant indoor Football shoe for
players worldwide. With its distinctive toe guard, lower stitching
on the side of the sole and shoehorn, leather lining in the heel,
cushioned insoles and clips for laces, the Samba is not only one of
the most recognizable football silhouettes in the world, but also a
modern-day street classic. Read More..
