The Adidas brand is, alongside Nike, not only the largest sporting goods manufacturer in the world, but also one of the most internationally renowned German companies. Every child knows the logo with the three stripes, whether in China, the USA or Europe.

The brand was founded by the two brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik. The two separated and each founded their own company, thus creating the brands Adidas and Puma. To this day, the headquarters of both companies is located in the small town of Herzogenaurach.

The success of Adidas would hardly have been possible without the numerous cooperations with athletes and artists. Adidas is indispensable today as a supplier for sportsmen and sportswomen, for example in football or tennis. The cooperation with Run-DMC in the 80s made Adidas one of the most popular lifestyle brands.

The brand with the three stripes and two logos

The three stripes of Adidas are known all over the world, but few know that they were originally the distinguishing mark of the Finnish sports brand Karhu. It is said that Adidas bought the rights to use the three strips for the equivalent of 1800 dollars and two bottles of whisky.

In 1971 the leaf-like Trefoil logo was created, which had been developed for the Olympic Games in Munich. From then on, Adidas tracksuits and sneakers not only adorned the three stripes, but also the unmistakable Trefoil logo.

In 1991 a second logo for the Adidas Equipment line was added. The "Three Bar" logo with the three stripes arranged into a triangle is a design by designer Peter Moor, who also designed the Nike Air Jordan 1.

The groundbreaking cooperations of Adidas

It was above all the cooperation with artists from the world of hip-hop that was responsible for the success of the Adidas brand as a streetwear label.

The collaboration with Run-DMC in the 1980s finally led to Adidas establishing itself as a streetwear label in the USA. Run-DMC's Shell-Toe-Superstar-Sneakers were released in 1986 with the single "My Adidas".

Later followed the collaboration with Kanye West, the sneakers released under the YEEZY brand are among Adidas' greatest successes. The Collabs with Pharrell Williams, Pusha-T and Missy Elliott were also legendary.

Among the most sought-after shoe models among sneaker heads are the models released in collaboration with the streetwear brands "A Bathing Ape" and "Palace Skateboards" as well as the designs of renowned fashion designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Ralf Simons, Stella McCartney, Rick Owens and Alexander Wang.

The best-selling Adidas sneaker in the company's history is actually the Adidas Stan Smith, named after the US tennis star. This classic has been on the market since 1971 until today.

What is Adidas Originals?

You certainly know "Adidas Originals". But what is the difference to the Adidas brand? Adidas Originals is the brand's product line specialising in fashionable leisurewear and working with fashion designers and artists. Under the Adidas Originals banner, for example, there are products from the collaborations with Kanye West or Pharrell Williams or with Alexander Wang. But also the current fashion collections of Adidas appear under this label. The brand's functional sportswear is marketed under the name "Adidas Performance".

Products in the Adidas Originals line carry the original Adidas Trefoil logo, while Adidas sportswear lines feature the Three Bar logo.

In addition to these two important product lines, there are other lines with specific focal points such as Adidas Skateboarding, Adidas Athletics or the fashionable, slightly cheaper Adidas Essentials line (formerly Adidas NEO).