Sports shoes and clothing have long been in demand not only among athletes but also perfectly complement our everyday looks. Most popular brands emerged in the last century and continue to evolve, reflecting current fashion trends.
Nike
This legendary brand with the motto “Just do it” was founded in the mid-1960s. One of the founders, Phil Knight, was a student and middle-distance runner, and his coach Bill Bowerman became his business partner. Phil was worried that high-quality shoes for athletes were costly, and it was almost impossible to train in cheap ones. The knowledge that he received at the Faculty of Economics helped him organize the supply of sports shoes from Asian countries and resell them. Bill Bowerman supported this business financially, and in tandem, they managed to establish good cooperation and open their own shoe production.
The company was first named “Blue Ribbon Sports,” and in 1978, it was officially renamed “Nike” in honor of the Greek goddess of victory. The company needed a catchy logo that had been designed by student Carolyn Davidson; by the way, the well-known checkmark denotes the wing of the goddess. Although at first, the designer’s fee was only $35, a few years later, when Nike’s earnings were already millions of dollars, entrepreneurs found her again and thanked her with a diamond ring and company shares.
Adidas
The great history of the three-stripe Adidas brand began in the small German town of Herzogenaurach, with the small family business of the brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler in the post-war period. Together with their father, they first sewed indoor slippers, then special shoes for athletes and disabled people. The business was going well from the very beginning, so that home production gradually grew into a company called Dassler. Once playing football, Adolf came up with the idea of equipping shoes with spikes. The idea was patented, the innovative sole was introduced into new shoe models in 1928, and in 1928 the company’s shoes were used at the Olympic Games. After that, branded Adidas shoes have become an irreplaceable attribute of athletes in world sports.
After their father’s death, the brothers Adolf and Rudolf began to deal directly with the family business. However, they immediately quarreled seriously and subsequently stopped communicating altogether. The exact reason why this happened is still unknown. In 1947, the brothers decided to break off business relations, and the Dassler brand ceased to exist. Adi’s factory was named Adidas (short for ADI plus DASsler), and Rudolph founded his own company, Puma. Interestingly, the brands remain serious competitors in the sporting goods market to this day.
Unfortunately, the Adidas company could not remain a family business. Adolf died in the late 70s and handed over the management to his wife Katarina, after whose death in 1984 their son Horst took over the company. But he also left the world early, after which Adidas was to be led by his sisters. But they lacked the necessary skills and decided to sell 80% of the shares. The brand’s potential was enormous, so the development of the brand was entrusted to a new team in 1993, which helped open a new page in the book of the Adidas brand.
Today, the company’s production has been moved to Asian countries, which significantly reduced the process’s cost, and the company’s office is still located in Germany in Herzogenaurach. Adidas Group AG owns brands such as Reebok, Runtastic, and Five Ten. New Adidas managers constantly pay attention to new trends in the fashion world and set the style themselves, including the usage of modern technologies. Adidas is now a huge German concern with many subsidiaries; it produces sports shoes, clothing, and accessories for all ages, as well as sports equipment for professional competitions.
Fila
Today Fila is a South Korean brand of sports shoes, apparel, and accessories. However, the company was bought out by the South Korean branch only in 2007, and it was founded in 1911 in Italy by the Fila brothers. In the very beginning, it was a factory that produced fabrics and underwear, and since 1973, Fila has been producing sportswear. Contracts with many athletes helped to popularize sportswear, including tennis player Bjorn Borg. Fila reigned on tennis courts for a long time, but it was gradually available for mass use.
New Balance
This hugely popular brand originated in Boston, Massachusetts, where English immigrant William J. Riley lived and came up with a very original idea. It was inspired by… a chicken foot. For the record, it has three points of support, which became the prototype of the first pair of orthopedic shoes for the brand. At first, the company was called “New Balance Arch Company.” It produced footwear for people with anatomical features of the legs. Over time, Riley recruited Arthur Hall to collaborate and support his initiative financially, which helped New Balance survive the hard times.
In 1956, the New Balance Arch Company was renamed to New Balance Orthopedic Laboratory and was taken over by Hall’s daughter. After a dizzying success at the World Championship, the sneaker has become a morning run, aerobics, and fitness hit around the world. In 1978, the brand launched its first clothing line and developed the first running shoes specifically for women. Today New Balance can be called one of the most successful sports footwear and apparel companies focusing mainly on running and walking.
