From the beginning, Adolf Dassler wanted a line of sports shoes that would help athletes perform their best regardless of the sport in which they competed In 1949. When the company began, its founder took his name and formed Adidas and it got its first major boost in 1954 when Germany battled Hungary on the soccer field wearing the newest Adidas shoes with removable studs. Cited as being a competitive advantage, Adidas began a reputation of working to make the best better.



Moving into track and field events, Dick Fosbury launched the Adidas brand even higher when he won the high jump wearing Adidas footwear and the company's name was officially associated with success. As Dassler envisioned, the right footwear for the right sport would give the competitor the edge they needed to secure a win in any event. For about the first 50 years the company focused on manufacturing, design and sales of competitive sports footwear, but in 1990 switched ot strategy to marketing and after buying Reebok, another sport shoe manufacturer and Taylor Made golf equipment, the company's growth took off.

With a wide range of sport related products and a history of excellence in the sport shoe and equipment manufacturing, the growth of Adidas is assured to continue through the next century. With a diverse customer base, Adidas has another competitive edge, while not relying on a single segment for future sales growth. Taylor made has been a top name in the golf world for years and its continued reign near the top of the equipment list will keep it on the edge of the finest equipment in the sport.

Competitive athletes have an affection for the Adidas brand and its history of giving them an edge in competition. This same reputation follows the brand into the lives of consumers who are sports minded, yet not professionals. Amateurs as well as weekend warriors and finding the Adidas advantage in their escapades. Additionally, consumers with a bent toward fashion are finding that Adidas products not only perform well in competition, they also look good.

By aiming the product mix to the consumers of that particular brand entity is helping Adidas maintain its market share in the three main areas of shoe sales, professional sport, amateur sports and fashion. While golf equipment is handled by the Taylor Made division, Adidas and Reebok golf shoes are completing the equipment outfitting of the world's golfers.

As the company goes back to their reputation of providing athletes of any level the competitive level regardless of the sport in which they compete, they are finding new customers and bringing back existing customers with high performance, high fashion products. With Adidas-Taylor Made golf products, including Maxfli golf balls, the fashion sense combined with quality high performance equipment reaches another segment of the competitive sports world.