Two Brothers, Two Brands

A small town in the heart of Germany becomes the center of international fashion because of a quarrel, which not only divided the city but also the world fashion scene and gave birth to two very popular brands, Adidas and Puma. If you've started learning German and haven't heard about this story, here's your chance.

The story begins when Adolf Drasler, the younger brother, returned from the First World War with the idea of ​​creating a shoe that is light and robust, and in his father's factory that produced slippers, made the first sports shoes. His idea was promising and the entire factory started producing sports shoes, and Adolf's older brother Rudolf joined the new innovative idea, so that two brothers, one closed and perfectionist and the other bohemian, extroverted and inspired by trade, set out to conquer the market. Although different in nature, the two brothers complemented each other over the years and led the company to great success.

Already at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, athletes wore their shoes, and in 1936 Jesse Owens won gold four times in Dassler sneakers. The darker side of the story is that both brothers became members of the Nazi party in 1933, not out of conviction but out of pure opportunism, they believed that in this way the company would survive in the coming difficult times. In the midst of the Second World War, Rudolf was sent to Poland, and Adolf remained in the factory, where the French from the concentration camps now work. Rudolf deserted in 1945, and the Gestapo secret police found him, arrested him and took him to the Dachau camp, where he remained until he was released by the Americans. But Rudolph's happiness did not last long. A year later he was arrested on espionage charges. And it is said that his own brother Adolf betrayed him to the authorities.

When Rudolph returned to the factory, open conflicts began with his own brother, and it went so far that their wives got involved. Open hatred arose from the fraternal quarrel.

The first to open a new company in 1948 was Rudolph, naming it Puma, because that's what his close friends called him. And Adolf did it a year later, giving the company the acronym Adidas (Adolf Dassler).

In the following years, Puma and Adidas are the biggest competitors, both companies find famous athletes who wear their brand. When the German national team won the 1954 world championship, they wore adidas. But the tacit agreement of both brands was not to sponsor the great Pele, but when Puma did, the feud escalated, but this time not between the brothers but between their sons. For years, the dispute divided the small town of Herzogenauhr, whose residents had divided opinions on everything and the main employer was Adidas and Puma.

Only in the 2000s did the situation change a little and relax. Today Adidas and Puma are one of the biggest sports brands. After Nike, Adidas is in second place in the production of sports goods, and Puma is in third place.