Adidas founded on August 18, 1949, by Adolf Dassler

On August 18, 1949, the company Adidas was officially registered by German inventor and shoemaker Adolf Dassler in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. The establishment of the firm followed an irreconcilable split between Adolf and his brother Rudolf Dassler, who had previously operated the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik together.

Following their separation, Rudolf founded Puma, while Adolf established the Adi Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik. The brand name was derived from Adolf’s nickname, ‘Adi’, and the first three letters of his surname. The company became a global leader in sports apparel and equipment, noted for technical innovations such as the iconic three-stripe design and screw-in football studs used by the German national team during the 1954 World Cup.