![]() Likewise, a German gold medal runner wore Dassler shoes at the 1932 Los Angeles games. Lina Radke, for example, the German middle distance runner who won gold in 1928, wore Dassler track shoes. Īs early as the 1928 Amsterdam games, the Dasslers' footwear was being used in international competitions. ![]() The relationship proved extremely valuable in giving Adi access to the athletes, both German and foreign, at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A long friendship developed between the two, based on interest in improving athletic performance with improved footwear, and Waitzer became something of a consultant to the company. ![]() On learning of the plant and Adi's experiments, Waitzer travelled from Munich to Herzogenaurach to see for himself. First was the interest showed by former Olympian and then coach of the German Olympic track-and-field team, Josef Waitzer. Two factors paved the way for the transformation of the business from a small regional factory, which they moved to in 1927 from their parents' home, to the international shoe distributor it would become. By 1925 the Dasslers were making leather Fußballschuhe (football boots) with nailed studs and track shoes with hand-forged spikes. With the support of the Zehlein smithy producing spikes, Adi was able to register Gebrüder Dassler, Sportschuhfabrik, Herzogenaurach ("Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory, Herzogenaurach") on 1 July 1924, where they were operating in a former washroom that was converted to a small workshop with manual electricity generation. But after he completed his training, he joined Adi's firm on 1 July 1923. He did it very scientifically." Īfter the war, Rudolf was determined to become a policeman. Years later his widow, Käthe Dassler, said: "Developing shoes was his hobby, not his job. He constantly experimented with various materials, such as shark skin and kangaroo leather, to create strong but lightweight shoes. He produced one of the earliest spiked shoes, with spikes forged by the smithy of the family of his friend Fritz Zehlein. The business was driven by Adi's vision of specialized sport designs. Using belts, for example, he rigged a leather milling machine to a mounted, stationary bicycle powered by the firm's first employee. ĭassler became quite adept at modifying available devices to help mechanize production in the absence of electricity. ![]() Facing the realities of post-war Germany where there was no reliable supply for material for production or credit to obtain factory equipment or supplies, he began by scavenging army debris in the war-torn countryside: Army helmets and bread pouches supplied leather for soles parachutes could supply silk for slippers. Life The Brothers Dassler Shoe Factory, 1918–1945 The Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory near Herzogenaurach train station in 1928Īdi supported himself while attempting to start up his business by repairing shoes in town. At the time of his death, Adidas had 17 factories and annual sales of one billion marks. As a result of his concepts, Adi Dassler built the largest manufacturer of sportswear and equipment. Dassler was an innovator in athletic shoe design and one of the early promoters who obtained endorsements from athletes to drive sales of his products. He was also the younger brother of Rudolf Dassler, founder of Puma. Adolf " Adi" Dassler (3 November 1900 – 6 September 1978) was a German cobbler, inventor, member of the Nazi party, and entrepreneur who founded the German sportswear company Adidas.
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