Adidas

Adidas - named after German founder Adi Dassler in the 1940s - has been part of the world of sports on every level ever since, delivering state-of-the-art sports shoes, apparel and accessories.

Today, the group is a global leader in the sportswear and sporting goods industry, and their products are available in virtually every country of the world.

Their strategy is as simple as their running shoes are legendary: to continuously strengthen and develop their products to improve your performance, whether you're a recreational sportsman, fitness-orientated or a professional athlete.

It all began with pedal power in the 1920s – and led to the formation of not one, but two legendary sportswear companies known throughout the world for their state of the art footwear and clothing.

Today, Adidas and their iconic three stripes are global leaders in the market, with a £10 billion turnover and a manufacturing interest in almost every type of sportswear imaginable.

A far cry from the days when Adolf ‘Adi’ Dassler began making his own sports shoes in his mother’s kitchen, where electricity supplies were so unreliable he often relied on a stationary bicycle to generate enough power to run his machinery.

With the help of younger brother Rudolf, 200,000 pairs of sports shoes were soon sold every year, a phenomena which continued until they decided to go their separate ways. Each laid the foundations of a new company, both rising from the ashes of Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik to become two of the most recognised brands in existence.

We know them today as Adidas and Puma.

The success of both brands can be traced back to the 1936 Olympics, when four-times gold medallist Jessie Owens sported primitive running spikes - which became the forerunners of legendary track shoes worn by athletes all over the world today.