Adidas

Adidas AG is a German multinational corporation based in Herzogenrauch, Germany, that designs and produces shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second largest in the world after Nike.

The brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler began manufacturing shoes in 1920 in Herzogenrauch near Nuremberg in Bavaria.

Around 1948 the rift between the brothers deepened. Rudolf left the company in 1949 to found Puma on the other side of town (on the other side of the Aurach), and Adolf Dassler renamed the company adidas after his nickname Adi Dassler.

The conflict between the brothers also divided the population of the village. The most famous fight between adidas and Puma in the Netherlands was over Johan Cruyff. In the 1970s, adidas was a sponsor of the Dutch national team. However, Cruijff had a contract with Puma. Given the rivalry between the two brands, Puma threatened to break Cruijff's contract if he played in an adidas team. Adidas would withdraw as a sponsor if Cruijff played with Puma shoes. Ultimately, Cruijff was the only Dutch player to wear a two-stripe jersey, while everyone else wore a three-stripe jersey.