Perhaps the most famous confrontation in the fashion industry is the struggle for buyers between two world leaders: Puma and Adidas. The history of the confrontation between the Dassler brothers began so long ago that it became overgrown with legends and speculation.
Brothers or enemies?
A poor German shoemaker had two sons: the eldest named Rudolf and the youngest named Adolf. They were fond of sports and were constantly in a state of competition. Adolf was the first to follow in his father's footsteps; later Rudolf came into the business and turned out to be an excellent salesman. Their company was called the Dassler Brothers, and by 1936 it had gained worldwide recognition. This was facilitated by the fascist party, which attracted young people into its ranks through a passion for sports. Later, both greatly regretted collaborating with the Nazis.
During World War II, the factory switched to producing military shoes, and Rudolf, according to rumors, even served in the Gestapo.
The rivalry came to a head in 1948 when their father died. Then the factory was divided into two, dividing the employees into two warring headquarters. Both named the companies by their own names, only Rudolf changed the dissonant name Ruda to Puma. Fierce competition gave an incentive to make shoes with excellent characteristics, which helped more than one world champion win.
Adidas
It was shoes with spikes that gave the company a powerful start. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, most athletes competed in Adidas. But Adolf loved football most of all and bet on it. The entire German national football team wore his shoes, and advertisements were placed around football fields, attracting fans to their side.
That is why the advertisement where Pele bends down to tie his shoelace and the camera captures the inscription “Puma” became so scandalous. The elder brother deliberately hit the sore spot.
Adidas grew steadily, becoming a sponsor of the Olympic Games. She became a symbol of football and an entire era. In May 2006, a bronze monument to Adolf Dassler was unveiled in the city of Herzogenaurach, who is depicted sitting in the second row of the stadium.
Puma
Rudolf, immediately after creating his own factory, launched the production of Atom football boots, which were preferred by several national team players. The logo in the form of a puma in a jump brings sports luck at the world championships; athletes wearing Puma shoes brought 4 Olympic gold medals from Mexico! This is the perfect advertisement!
In 1960, an innovation appeared - vulcanization, using this method to connect the sole to the upper, reaching incredible heights in wearability. Then the company introduces another know-how - convenient Velcro instead of boring laces.
Rudolph is constantly expanding the scope of use of his shoes, capturing as many sports as possible, clearly acting in defiance of his brother. Since 1975, Puma began to fully equip athletes with the launch of a line of sportswear.
Who will win?
They did not communicate until the end of their days. Rudolph died at the age of 76 from lung cancer, Adolf survived him by only 4 years... They are buried at different ends of the cemetery. After death, the families continued the struggle, but the descendants turned out to be short-sighted managers and eventually sold the company for almost nothing. Now the companies secretly continue their rivalry under loud signs, but their owners no longer have anything to do with the Dassler family feuds, while making huge profits from the production of sportswear.
Yes, their story is so amazing and confusing that it inspired the creation of a film called “Duel of Brothers. The history of Adidas and Puma." It is a pity that two talented people in their own way could not find a common language. But they gave the world truly legendary shoes.
0
As for me, there is no difference in the brands' products
Good afternoon These are very different brands =)