The second largest sports company in the world, Adidas was founded by brothers, Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf Dassler, in the early 1920s as Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik, (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory), in Herzogenaurach in Germany. They persuaded U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to use their handmade spikes at the 1936 Olympics.
In 1948, Rudolf decided to start his own company, which later became Puma, and Adolf renamed the company “adi-das", after himself. The signature three stripes appeared after 1952 when acquired from the Finnish athletic footwear brand Karhu Sports for two bottles of whiskey and the equivalent of 1600 euros.
Adidas collaborates with a number of artists, companies and social campaigns. One of their most recent and successful collaborations is with TfL (Transport for London), launching a collection of footwear based around the London Underground. The brand frequently collaborates with Stella McCartney to find innovative methods of reducing fashion's impact on the planet.
