The idea was as simple as it was brilliant. Adi Dassler’s aim was to provide every athlete with the best possible equipment. It all began in 1920, when Adi Dassler made his first shoes using the few materials available after the First World War. Today, the adidas product range extends from shoes, apparel and accessories for handball, football, running, basketball, tennis and training to adventure, trail and golf.

The adidas name dates back to 1948, deriving from the first two syllables of Adi Dassler’s first and last name. One year later, Adi Dassler registered the Three Stripes as a trademark.

After a period spanning almost 70 years, the Dassler family withdrew from the company in 1989, and the enterprise was transformed into a corporation (“Aktiengesellschaft”). French-born Robert Louis-Dreyfus was Chairman of the Executive Board from April 1993 to March 2001. It was he who initiated adidas’ flotation on the stock market in November 1995. Since 2001, Herbert Hainer has led the company.

In 1997, adidas acquired the Salomon group, and the company’s name changed to adidas-Salomon AG. The Salomon group also included the TaylorMade golf brand.

The Salomon business segment, including the related subsidiaries and brands Salomon, Mavic, Bonfire, Arc’Teryx and Cliché, was sold in October 2005 to the Finland-based Amer Sports Corporation.

In January 2006, the acquisition of the Reebok group, announced in 2005, was completed, further accelerating the desired strategic orientation of the adidas Group in the global market for sports footwear, apparel and accessories. Together, adidas-Salomon AG and Reebok offer an expanded portfolio of international brands, including adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, Rockport, Greg Norman Collection, MAXFLI, CCM, Jofa and Koho, that even better meets consumer needs.

In the future, the Group will have more complete product offerings in key sports categories, with extended geographic reach, a more balanced sales profile and enhanced research and development capabilities. Following approval by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in May 2006, the company’s name will change to “adidas AG”.

The new adidas Group generates sales of almost EUR 10 billion worldwide and has more than 25,000 employees. Over 2,000 of the employees work at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.