The European Giant

Are you all in? Adidas is, and has been since Adolf (Adi) Dassler founded the company in 1949. However, Adi did not put his company on the map until 1954 when Germany competed against Hungary for the World Cup. The Germans had a distinct advantage over the Hungarians, Adi produced a special "boot" which contained removable studs for the players to wear.  This game is still talked about today, and is proudly referred to the "Miracle of Bern."

Due to the success of Adi's "football boot," Adidas quickly became known for its soccer equipment. Many of the current club football teams in Europe, such as Chelsea Football Club, and Liverpool FC, are wearing cleats, socks and jerseys made by Adidas. This has made Adidas a high profile company for the sport.

Today, Adidas is a multi-brand company which tries to appeal to both the mass athlete, as well as the niche. As the company has grown, Adidas has acquired other companies to bring customers from a wider area. They acquired companies in the 2000s like Taylor Made and Reebok. This has helped Adidas gain a stronger foothold in America, and compete globally as well.