Nike Vs. Reebok Vs. Adidas

By Lyle Stefanavich

The shoe and athletic apparel market is dominated by three major companies. Nike, Reebok and Adidas feature premium athletic apparel designed to enhance the performance of athletes in all the major sports. The companies battle each year for consumers and market share, as well as spend millions in research and development to better their products.

Pro Level

Nike, Reebok and Adidas offer athletic apparel to professional athletics. All three companies are involved in shoe wars for the services of professional basketball players, which provide marketability and exposure to massive audiences. Basketball shoes comprise a significant percentage of market share, and these companies will spare no expense to sign the latest and greatest basketball star. The companies also supply pro football and baseball players with gear, along with a burgeoning golf division for Nike and Adidas.

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Nike

Nike is recognized internationally as a leading manufacturer of innovative footwear and performance enhancing apparel. Phil Knight, Nike's founder and CEO, has been especially supportive of his alma mater, the University of Oregon. The Knights and Nike have initiated several philanthropic initiatives to enhance the services, equipment and apparel provided to Oregon student-athletes. This, in turn, has given Nike even greater visibility and exposure among high level athletes. Oregon's equipment is cutting edge, and its athletic teams constantly employ trend-setting designs and features.

Adidas

Adidas has long been considered an international brand but has made significant strides in the U.S. Their golf apparel division has enhanced its offerings, and now produces clothing, shoes and accessories for many touring professionals. This has seen a great trickle-down effect into the amateur game. Adidas has also signed major endorsement contracts with many U.S. colleges, including the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame, to play and promote the company's apparel.

Reebok

Reebok has struggled at different times with Nike and Adidas beginning to differentiate themselves, but the company has made a push by focusing on its professional basketball, football and hockey equipment. Reebok hockey has several innovations that bolster its usage rate in the National Hockey League and minor pro leagues, while Reebok football is on a similar upswing. The NBA appeals to most sneaker consumers, and Reebok has made a push in this area as well, with several shoes endorsed by the top level players.

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History of Adolf Dassler

By Gwen Bruno

Adolf -- also known as Adi -- Dassler is best known as the founder of the Adidas company, whose three-stripe logo was to become synonymous with athletic shoes. By the late 1970s, the company was manufacturing 200,000 pairs of shoes per day and had expanded production to include sportswear, athletic bags, balls and other equipment.

An adidas store in a mall.

Credit: Warren Little/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Family

Adolf Dassler was born in 1900 in the Bavarian mill town of Herzogenaurach, Germany. He originally trained to be a baker, but when his family started a small shoe-making business, he turned his hand to creating footwear. The family started out making bedroom slippers using scavenged materials such as used tires, old helmets and rucksacks. As his sister cut patterns from canvas, Adolf used his home-made shoe trimmer, which was powered by a bicycle.

Focus on Athletics

Adolf, a sports fanatic, began transforming the slippers into lightweight gymnastics and soccer shoes with cleats. The family, including Adi's brother Rudolf, made enough money to open a small factory in 1926. The brothers first sold a shoe made specifically for tennis players, then began creating shoes for other sports. Their many technical innovations, including the first athletic shoe with arch support, made the shoes popular with athletes. The company added to its fame and gained publicity by giving away shoes to Olympic athletes at the 1928 Amsterdam games. Eight years later, Jesse Owens won the Berlin Olympics gold medal in track wearing the family's shoes.

Split From Brother

During the war, the shoe factory was taken over to produce boots for German soldiers. Although Rudolf served in the German army, Adolf continued to run the factory through the war. In the late 1940s, disagreements between Adolf and his brother caused them to dissolve their partnership forever. Adolf used his nickname "Adi" along with the first syllable of his last name to created the company name "Adidas." Meanwhile, Rudolf set up a rival shoe company nearby and named it "Puma."

Adidas Company

Dassler's company did not begin selling products in the U.S. until 1968, but Adidas shoes' popularity quickly spread among both serious and casual athletes and quickly became the top-selling American sports shoe. At the 1972 Olympics, every official as well as the vast majority of athletes wore Adidas shoes. The Adidas company also was highly successful in creating and selling its own line of sportswear. Adi Dassler died in 1978, at which time son Horst took over the company.

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