Adidas History - Summary
BUSINESS HISTORY
Adidas is a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport around the globe. The vision of company founder Adolf (“Adi”) Dassler has long become reality and his corporate philosophy the guiding principle for successor generations.
1920- Was where it all began. Adi Dassler created his first pair of shoes using the few materials that were available after the First World War.
1949- Adi Dassler registered his company in the commercial register, named after himself taking ‘Adi’ from Adolf and ‘Das’ for Dassler.
1952- Adidas is ranked as the most widely worn German sports shoe brand at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. Emil Zatopek wins three gold medals within a span of one week in Adidas shoes. An achievement that has not been repeated since.
1954- The German football team wins the World Cup for the first time wearing Adidas shoes. The soccer shoe worn at the finals in Berne were later called “World Champions”.
1971- Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazer meet each other in the boxing ring both wearing special boxing boots designed and developed by Adi Dassler.
1989- Adidas becomes a corporation, but retains its family ownership.
1993- Robert Louis-Dreyfus becomes president of Adidas AG. New sales and marketing strategies pave the way for a successful turnaround.
1994- Adidas’s year of comeback. The company presented a clear upwards trends in sales and earnings.
1995- It is now 75 years since Adi Dassler made his first shoes. Six years after the family owned company was turned into a corporation, Adidas goes public. The Adidas share is one the most interesting new listings in the stock market in Germany.
1997- Adidas announces the acquisition of the Saloman group. The name of the new group is changed top addidas-Saloman AG.
1998- The adidas-Saloman share is admitted to the DAX, made up of Germany’s 30 largest quoted companies.
1999- Adidas-Saloman employees move into reconfigured and refurbished headquarters. For the first time Adidas-Saloman
Adidas is a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport around the globe. The vision of company founder Adolf (“Adi”) Dassler has long become reality and his corporate philosophy the guiding principle for successor generations.
1920- Was where it all began. Adi Dassler created his first pair of shoes using the few materials that were available after the First World War.
1949- Adi Dassler registered his company in the commercial register, named after himself taking ‘Adi’ from Adolf and ‘Das’ for Dassler.
1952- Adidas is ranked as the most widely worn German sports shoe brand at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. Emil Zatopek wins three gold medals within a span of one week in Adidas shoes. An achievement that has not been repeated since.
1954- The German football team wins the World Cup for the first time wearing Adidas shoes. The soccer shoe worn at the finals in Berne were later called “World Champions”.
1971- Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazer meet each other in the boxing ring both wearing special boxing boots designed and developed by Adi Dassler.
1989- Adidas becomes a corporation, but retains its family ownership.
1993- Robert Louis-Dreyfus becomes president of Adidas AG. New sales and marketing strategies pave the way for a successful turnaround.
1994- Adidas’s year of comeback. The company presented a clear upwards trends in sales and earnings.
1995- It is now 75 years since Adi Dassler made his first shoes. Six years after the family owned company was turned into a corporation, Adidas goes public. The Adidas share is one the most interesting new listings in the stock market in Germany.
1997- Adidas announces the acquisition of the Saloman group. The name of the new group is changed top addidas-Saloman AG.
1998- The adidas-Saloman share is admitted to the DAX, made up of Germany’s 30 largest quoted companies.
1999- Adidas-Saloman employees move into reconfigured and refurbished headquarters. For the first time Adidas-Saloman