The story behind adidas and Puma: a rivalry spanning more than 60 years

This rivalry between two of the world’s best-known sports brands was, and remains, much more than a mere business dispute. This is a family feud that led the Dassler brothers, Adolf and Rudolph, to part ways and split up a company which, at the time, was one of the industry’s leading names. A dispute that ended up dividing even the residents of the small German town of Herzogenaurach.

The Dassler brothers were the sons of a former shoe factory worker. After returning from fighting in the First World War, they both decided to set up a German shoe factory: the famous Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik. This idea stemmed from a reason that, for a long time, remained a secret to everyone except the brothers themselves. It is important to realise that two of the world’s biggest sports brands still exist today because the Dassler brothers decided to manufacture footwear after realising the poor quality of the shoes they had worn during the Great War. From the outset, it was clear that the two brothers formed a perfectly harmonious team. Adolf was responsible for the development and design of the shoes, whilst Rudolph took charge of the commercial side and sales.

One of the most significant moments in the success of the Dassler family business before the Second World War occurred when Rudolph and Adolf – despite both being members of the Nazi Party – managed to persuade Jesse Owens to wear their trainers at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The brothers’ split occurred during the Second World War, a particularly difficult period in which numerous family disputes even led to clashes between the brothers’ wives. All this tension ultimately severed their relationship, with Rudolph joining the military and Adolf deciding to remain at the helm of the family business. The Second World War ended in 1945 and, following numerous internal conflicts and clashes between the two, the final split came in 1948. As a result, an entire town, families, friends and workers were left divided.

The adidas brand, as we know it today, was founded in 1949. The name derives directly from its founder, Adolf Dassler: ADI (his nickname) + DAS (the first letters of his surname, Dassler). Among other factors, adidas began to grow thanks to historic moments such as the 1954 World Cup final in Switzerland, where Adolf Dassler fitted the adidas football boots worn by the German national team with aluminium studs to prevent them from slipping in the rain. An innovation which, at the time, marked a turning point in the world of football boots.

To this day, other key moments remain etched in our memory, such as the launch of the adidas Copa Mundial football boots in 1982. These boots remain, even today, one of the best-selling products in the world of football. And it was precisely thanks to moments like this, combined with Adolf’s remarkable ingenuity in creating and designing new products, that a brand like adidas managed to reach where it is today and maintain its status as a global benchmark.

Like his brother, Rudolph decided to set up his own company shortly after the split in 1948. This led to the creation of Ruda, the company’s original name, which would later become Puma. However, the brand did not take off as quickly as Rudolph had imagined. It is worth remembering that the ingenuity and innovation behind the product lay on the other side of the rivalry, whilst Rudolph stood out for his shrewdness, his formidable negotiating skills and his ability to position products in any market. We must not forget that the idea of asking Jesse Owens to wear trainers from the Dassler brothers’ factory in 1936 originated with both brothers, but it was Rudolph who managed to seal the deal.

Despite the constant difficulties during the company’s early years, it was in the 1970s – and more specifically during the 1970 World Cup – that the German brand experienced one of the most significant moments in its history. An episode that would forever shape its identity and help ensure its survival to this day. We are in the quarter-finals of the 1970 World Cup, in the match between Brazil and Peru. Before the match began, Brazilian star Pelé simply crouched down and tied the laces of his boots with complete nonchalance. As expected, all eyes were on the Brazilian player, one of the tournament’s standout figures, making it clear that Pelé was wearing all-black Puma King football boots featuring the brand’s distinctive white stripe.

From 1948 until the death of both brothers, neither spoke to the other again. Stories even began to circulate about clashes between the two brands and alleged episodes of family espionage. The truth is that, right up until the end of their lives, neither brother ever spoke to the other again. And even today, when we talk about successful international sports brands such as Nike, we can say that, to a certain extent, the rivalry between Adolf and Rudolph Dassler also influenced their growth, as the internal division between the two brands allowed other competitors to gain ground during those years. Today, both brothers are buried in the same cemetery, albeit in completely different and separate sections. Even after death, their rivalry continued to shape their stories.