Adidas history - a legend lives on
We've got a (huge) crush on adidas, so delved into the archives to find out a little more about the brand. From the adidas history, it's evident that a legend lives on.
adidas was started 71 years ago by Adi Dassler, a man intent on making a difference in athletes' performance. What began as a business geared towards sports has since grown into an iconic global brand intertwined in contemporary popular culture, sustainability and beyond.
The early years were defined by a series of ground-breaking innovations to products that revolutionised what top athletes were wearing and helped them push the limits in their respective fields. From the first soccer cleat with nylon sole, to the Fosbury Flop that changed how athletes approach the high jump, and the first specialist running shoe, adidas became synonymous with competitive sports, technology and focused innovation.
When it comes to fashion, we can thank the 1960s, 70s and 80s for the introduction of some of adidas’ most iconic streetstyles. Cult classics like the adidas Samba, Superstar, Stan Smith and famed tracksuit were all born in this era, an exciting time during which lines started to blur between sports, fashion music and culture.
For adidas, the turn of the century was a period for both bringing the technology of their performance footwear closer to where it is today and recognisable fashion. The latter manifest in exciting collaborations with the likes of Yohji Yamamoto, releasing the YY MEI Brocade, and Stella McCartney, who helped developed a popular line of high-fashion sportswear, which continues today. Most recently, adidas teamed up with Kanye West to launch YEEZY, an adidas line of sneakers with a cult following.
On the technology and innovation front, adidas is focusing increasingly on sustainability. For example, it teamed up with Parley, an ocean conservation organisation, to develop shoes and clothes made from recycled ocean plastic. With its performance gear, innovation focused on the evolution of cushioning, which was introduced via Boost, the energy-returning midsole, and Futurecraft 4D, a new way of crafting sneakers with the midsole born of liquid sculpted by light and oxygen.
While this is by no means touches on what adidas has achieved in the last 70 years, it gives you a taste. It's certainly pretty clear that adidas has no plans to stop evolving and innovating in both the sporting and fashion arenas, and we’re stoked about that!
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Information source: adidas.com