Adolf Dassler

Adolf "Adi" Dassler was a German cobbler, inventor and entrepreneur who founded the German sportswear company Adidas. He was also the younger brother of Rudolf Dassler, founder of Puma. Adi Dassler was born on 3 November 1900, in Herzogenaurach, Germany, as the youngest child of Christoph and Pauline Dassler. He had two brothers—Fritz and Rudolf—and a sister — Marie. He learned shoe making from his father and developed a passion for sports and innovation. In 1924, he and his brother Rudolf established the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory, where they produced leather football boots with nailed studs and track shoes with hand-forged spikes. They gained popularity after several athletes wore their shoes in the 1928 and 1936 Olympic Games, including Jesse Owens who won four gold medals. However, the brothers had a falling out during World War II and split up in 1948. Adi founded Adidas, while Rudolf founded Puma. The two companies became rivals and competed for market share and endorsements from sports stars. Adi Dassler was an innovator in athletic shoe design and one of the early promoters who obtained endorsements from athletes to drive sales of his products. He constantly experimented with various materials, such as shark skin and kangaroo leather, to create strong but lightweight shoes. He also developed shoes for different sports, such as tennis, basketball, boxing, golf, and skiing. He married Käthe Martz in 1934 and had five children. His son Horst joined Adidas in 1956 and became the head of the international division. He expanded the company's global presence and introduced new product lines, such as clothing and accessories. Adi Dassler died of heart failure on 6 September 1978, at the age of 77. He was buried in Herzogenaurach Cemetery. At the time of his death, Adidas had 17 factories and annual sales of one billion marks. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of sportswear and equipment.