The Adidas story began on August 18, 1949, when Adi Dassler, the founder of Adidas , set out to create sneakers that would enhance athletes' performance. Adolf "Adi" Dassler, born on November 3, 1900, was a German shoemaker. His focus was on rethinking shoe design to improve athletic performance, believing that specialized footwear for each sport could lead to better results. This idea would stay with the founder of Adidas throughout his career and would have a profound impact on the world of sports and business! His more scientific approach to shoe development transformed it from a job into a hobby.
This decade saw the emergence of innovative equipment for athletes worldwide. The Samba model, born in the 1950s, is still worn today! The founder of Adidas also developed a sprint shoe during this period, which would later break a world record. The 1950s were also marked by a major innovation in comfort and feel from the founder of Adidas , who invented the first football boot with a nylon sole. This decade revolutionized the footwear industry for elite athletes, but it was just the beginning of the great Adidas adventure!
Some products that are iconic for us today first appeared in the 1970s. These include the original Adidas Superstar, the Adilette, and the Stan Smith sneaker. The constant innovation of Adidas's founder and his commitment to sustainable development, ingrained in the brand's DNA, contributed to the creation of these iconic products. The Nite Jogger, a sneaker made with materials that allow running in the dark, was developed during this period by Adidas's founder and reimagined in 2019 with new technologies. The 1980s saw many innovations emerge. Technological advancements were significant during this decade. Examples include the Micropacer sneaker with an integrated screen for digitally tracking athletes' data, and the Torsion ZX8000, which tracks ankle movements.
Adidas' distinctive logo, which forms its entire visual identity, was invented in 1949 by the founder of Adidas. He added stripes to reinforce the shoes and decided to color them so that athletes wearing his shoes would be easily recognizable. It is thanks to this founder that Adidas is nicknamed "the brand with the three stripes." The logo has been redesigned several times, always retaining the three-line concept. These are three parallel horizontal lines that can be found on most Adidas clothing and shoes. The brand's secret, therefore, lies in constant evolution while remaining true to its origins.
