apparel and accessories), Salomon (skis, bindings, inline skates, adventure shoes, accessories), Taylor Made (golf clubs, balls and accessories), Mavic (cycling components) and Bonfire (snowboard apparel), Adidas-Salomon AG has the best portfolio of sports brands in the sporting goods industry, offering products for both summer and winter sports.
The Adidas story (Timeline)
1920
Adi Dassler makes his first shoe in his workshop near Nuremberg in Germany. The shoe made of canvas was a training shoe for runners and cost two reichsmarks. Adi Dassler followed three guiding principles in his development work: produce the best shoe for the requirements of the sport, protect the athlete from injury, and make the product durable.
1925
Adi Dassler develops the first special shoes for football and track & field. For the first time shoes with studs and spikes are introduced.
He also constructs different shoes for the different distances and uses state-of-the art materials to achieve a saving in weight.
1928
Adi Dassler’s shoes are worn at the Olympic Games for the first time. Adi Dassler takes care of “his” athletes in Amsterdam and strives to optimize the respective shoes, working closely with athletes.
1931
Adi Dassler makes his first tennis shoes.
1932
At the Los Angeles Olympic Games Arthur Jonath takes the bronze in the 100 m in Dassler shoes.
1937
Adi Dassler’s range now comprises 30 different shoes for a total of eleven sports.
1946
The first Adi Dassler sports shoes produced after the war are made using canvas
and rubber from American fuel tanks.
1947
The Salomon brand is made by a French family who produce skis.
1948
Adi Dassler starts up production again, with 47 workers. He takes the first two syllables of his first and last name as the name for his products. And he gives his shoes an unmistakable identifying logo: the Three Stripes.
1949
The Three Stripes are registered as an Adidas trademark. Adi Dassler focuses his
efforts on new football boots. He produces his first boots with moulded rubber studs.
1950
The first of the “Samba” all-round football boots are launched on the market. The
Samba continues to be regarded as the classic all-round training shoe today.
1952
Adidas is the most widely worn German sports shoe brand at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. For the first time track shoes with removable spikes are used. Also the first Adidas sports bags are introduced.
1957
Development of the first nylon half-soles for sprint shoes.
1962
Adidas boots dominate the Football World Cup in Chile. They are worn in all 32 games.
1963
The first Adidas footballs are developed and produced.
1964
Adidas presents the lightest track shoe ever made. The “Tokio 64” weighs just 135
grams per shoe.
1967
The first Adidas sports apparel is produced - with the ever popular Three Stripes, of course.
1968
The first jogging shoe, “Achill”, is launched.
1970
In Mexico an Adidas football, the “Telstar”, is the official ball at a Football World Cup for the first time.
1971
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier face each other in the “Fight of the Century”. Both wear special boxing boots developed by Adi Dassler.
1974
The first Adidas tennis rackets are launched.
1978
All goals at the Football World Cup in Argentina are scored with the “Tango”, the
official matchball. Unfortunately Adi Dassler dies at the age of 78. His son Horst carries on the Adidas company.
1979
The “Copa Mundial”, the world’s best-selling football boot ever, is launched.
1980
The German team wins the European Football Championship for the second time,
outfitted from head to toe in Adidas.
1986
Again the spotlight is on Adidas at the Football World Cup in Mexico. The Adidas
Azteca, the world’s first synthetic World Cup matchball, is introduced.
1987
Horst Dassler dies at the age of 51.
1988
Adidas launches the revolutionary “TORSION” sole system, still used today for a wide variety of sports shoes.
1989
Adidas becomes a corporation, but retains its family ownership.
1991
Adidas equipment is launched. The new label denotes performance-orientated
footwear and apparel.
1993
Robert Louis-Dreyfus becomes President of Adidas AG. New sales and marketing
strategies pave the way for the successful turnaround. The Originals wave surfaces. Trendsetters such as Madonna wear classic sports footwear and apparel of the 1970s. The “Gazelle” is produced again in small quantities.
1994
The year of the comeback. Adidas reports a clear upward trend in sales and profits. “Predator” is the name of the newest football boot introduced on the
occasion of the Football World Cup in the USA. The “Adidas Predator Cup”, a football tournament for young talent, takes place for the first time in co-operation with the Adidas Bundesliga clubs in Germany. The French company Mavic (cycling) joins the Salomon Group.
1995
It is now 75 years since Adi Dassler made his first shoes. Adidas sets milestones in the events scene. Adidas attracts participants and spectators to its events in the
sectors of basketball, football, track & field, outdoor and tennis. Six years
after the family-owned company was transformed into a corporation, Adidas goes into public limited company. The Adidas share is one of the most interesting new listings on the stock market in Germany. In December Bonfire, the American snowboard apparel brand, joins the Salomon Group, bringing some energy and youthful influence to the group.
1996
1996 turns out to be one of the most successful years in Adidas history. At the
European Football Championship and the Atlanta Olympic Games Adidas successfully underlines its ambition to become the best sports brand in the world. At this point, no other company has ever had so many competitors and officials using there brand in a major sporting event.
Also Adidas announces the acquisition of the Salomon Group (with the brands Salomon, TaylorMade, Mavic and Bonfire). This acquisition creates one of the world’s leading sporting goods groups with a portfolio of outstanding brands. The name of the new group will be changed to Adidas-Salomon AG. The complementary fit of the two companies is excellent, in terms of products (sports footwear, apparel and equipment for Adidas, winter sports equipment, golf clubs and cycling components for the Salomon Group). Salomon has an especially strong presence in North America and Japan, while Adidas is very well established in Europe. The new group becomes the second largest sporting goods marketer worldwide.
1999
The number of employees now totals 12,829 worldwide. Adidas is Official Sponsor of the Women’s World Cup 1999 in the USA, this just proves its dominant position as the number one football brand. Alongside Germany, Adidas is partner to Sweden, Japan, China and Australia
2002
As in 2001, the Adidas-Salomon share is once again the top performer in Germany’s leading stock index. Group sales rise 7% to reach a record level of €6.5 billion.
2003
Net income increases by 14% to € 260 million: another record high.
Current Situation
The current situation of Adidas is going very strong, employing approximately 15,700 employees worldwide. Adidas has total net sales of 6.267 billion euros and net income of 260 million euros. Adidas-Salomon is a global leader in the sporting goods industry and offers the widest portfolio of products. Adidas-Salomon products are available in virtually every country of the world. The Adidas strategy is simple: ‘continuously strengthen the brands and products to improve the competitive position and financial performance.’ The company's share of the world market for sporting goods is estimated at around 15%.
