Soccer :: How Did adidas Become the Byword for Football Boots?

Hello everyone.

 

Today I want to write about adidas, one of the first brands that comes to mind when you think of football boots and kits.

 

"How did this brand become synonymous with football?"

 

adidas actually began as a shoe company run by two brothers together. After the brothers split, the younger one, Adi Dassler, founded what is now adidas, while the older one, Rudolf Dassler, started his own company separately: PUMA.

 

The company was officially founded on August 18, 1949, and its name is said to come directly from its founder's name, Adi Dassler.

As the timeline above shows, adidas left a big mark on football history within a short time of being founded. The most famous moment is probably the 1954 World Cup final in Switzerland, known as the "Miracle of Bern."

 

West Germany came from behind to beat the heavily favored Hungarian team in the final, and their lightweight boots with interchangeable screw-in studs are widely credited as one of the factors that helped on a rain-soaked, muddy pitch. It made for a striking contrast with the heavier, traditional boots worn by the Hungarian players.

 

The brand's iconic Three Stripes also has an interesting backstory. In 1952, adidas bought the trademark from the Finnish sports brand Karhu, reportedly for a modest sum plus two bottles of whisky — a deal that's become one of the most talked-about stories in sports branding history.

Seen this way, adidas and PUMA are essentially rival brands that grew out of one family business splitting apart. It's a fascinating footnote that both companies, despite going their separate ways, are still major global sports brands today.

 

From the 1970 Mexico World Cup onward, adidas also began supplying the official match ball for FIFA World Cups, the "Telstar," expanding its reach beyond boots into official balls as well. That's roughly when the idea of "adidas as the standard for football gear" really took hold.

Summary

 

Looking back at adidas's football history, it's striking how a brand born out of a family split went on to become a symbol of the sport itself, through screw-in studs, the Three Stripes, and official World Cup balls. Next time, I'd like to cover the history of rival brands like PUMA or other football boot makers. I hope this post was helpful if you're curious about the history of football gear brands.

 

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