Back in the days of the Soviet Union, Adidas was considered one of the most fashionable and branded brands. Times have passed, companies have come and gone, but Adidas has always kept its brand at its best. The brand turned out to be so successful and popular that it spawned a lot of fakes and fraudulent offers. All this pushed the company away from its customers, who switched to cheaper substitutes. But everyone knows that a brand is a brand.
How to identify the real Adidas: shoes
The almost century-long history of the brand's development has served as a good basis for the manufacture of mass fakes, among which, as always, China is in the lead. What can be said about the quality of such products? Of course, nothing good, since the quality is at the lowest level.
At the first wash, they spread, dye, but the worst thing is that such things poison the human body with various formaldehydes and other toxic substances. Of course, it is impossible to make goods from low-quality materials without having special equipment for this and without observing technological processes. In such clothes, it’s not that you can win any victories, would survive.
To distinguish real Adidas shoes from fakes, you should pay attention to the following points:
1. It is better to buy branded shoes only in the company's boutiques or in other reputable stores, but not in the market. It should be noted right away that there is no “cheap Adidas”, as the buyer pays not only for quality, but also for the name.
2. A fake has its own characteristic feature, namely, a small triangle of leather located on the back of the shoe just below the logo.
3. Every pair of shoes comes with additional laces. It is also worth paying attention to the packaging, as a rule, the “real” product is placed in a plastic bag and packed very tightly. In the case of a fake, very often you can see plastic and products lying freely in it.
4. Another important nuance: the tags of a real brand have a serial number and all information about the model. The secret is that the right boot has one serial number, while the left has a completely different one. Therefore, if they match, then this is a 100% fake.
5. It is worth paying attention to the firmware: the seams should be even, straight and strong, no glue.
6. The company has its own official website, where all models are presented. Therefore, you can compare your purchase both in appearance and in color. It often happens that the colors do not match the official.
How to identify the real Adidas: clothing
Now consider the question: how to distinguish Adidas clothes from fakes. The clothes of this brand, as in principle, all Adidas products are famous for their highest quality. Before making a purchase, you should pay attention to the following details that cannot be found in the original: protruding pieces of thread, uneven seams, a barely visible skew on the logo. The most common sign of marriage is uneven stitching, for which poor quality thread was used. Very often uneven stitches located at a decent distance from each other protrude beyond the boundaries of the part.
It is also worth checking the colors of the clothes of the chosen model with those presented on the official website. As a rule, it is a color that is not among the original line of clothing that gives out a skillfully sewn fake. If the goods are purchased via the Internet, then here you should trust only the official portal of the company. And of course, a low price is not comparable to branded clothing, because, as you know, high-quality clothing always costs more.
Most American and European sportswear brands have moved their production to countries with cheap labor. Even some Ukrainian and Russian enterprises, when registering a brand abroad, sew clothes in China.
The history of this great German brand can be traced back to the birth of its founder, Adolf Dassler. After the First World War, the Dasslers decided to organize their own business, namely a shoe-making workshop. Already by 1925, Adi, as an avid football player, made himself the first pair of spiked shoes. It was forged for him by a local blacksmith, so the first boots were born. They turned out to be so comfortable that they began to be produced at the factory along with slippers.
In the late 40s, after the death of the head of the family, the brothers quarreled and divided the company. They divided the factories, each brother got one, agreed not to use the old name and logo of Dassler shoes. Adi decided to name his brand Addas and Rudy Ruda, but their names soon changed to Adidas and Puma respectively. The Dassler brand was successfully forgotten.
Columbia
Columbia Sportswear Company - American company manufactures and sells outdoor clothing.
The company was founded by second-wave German emigrants with Jewish roots - Paul and Marie Lamfrom. The Columbia company was founded in 1937 in Portland and was engaged in the sale of hats. The Colombia Hat Company was named after the river of the same name, which flowed near the residence of the Lamfrom family.
The hats that Colombia sold were of poor quality, so Paul decided to start his own production, namely, sewing shirts and other simple work clothes. Later, the daughter of the founders made a fishing jacket with lots of pockets. It was the first jacket in the company's product range, its sales brought some fame to the factory.
Nike Inc. is an American company, a world famous manufacturer of sporting goods. The headquarters is in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. The company was founded in 1964 by student Phil Knight. He was a middle distance runner for the University of Oregon. In those years, athletes had practically no choice in sports shoes. Adidas was expensive, about $ 30, and ordinary American sneakers cost $ 5, but my legs hurt from them.
To remedy the situation, Phil Knight came up with an ingenious scheme: order sneakers in Asian countries and sell them in the American market. At first, the company was called Blue Ribbon Sports and did not officially exist. Sneakers were sold literally from hands, or rather from Knight's van-minibus. He just stopped on the street and began to trade. During the year of its existence, the company sold sneakers for $ 8,000. Later, he came up with the Nike logo.
Nike is widely known for its "waffle" outsole, which allowed the shoe to be lighter and give a little more push while running. It was this invention that brought Nike to the forefront.
The history of Puma begins at the same time as the history of Adidas, as the founders of the brands are brothers. (See Adidas history). Rudolf founded his own company in 1948 - Puma . In 1960, the world saw the company's new logo, the image of the cougar, adored by many felines.
For many years the company worked exclusively for athletes. By the early 90s, Puma found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Consumers considered the brand imitative and inexpressive. The new management has set a new goal - to make the Puma brand the most creative and desirable. A key element in the renaissance was the decision to design footwear and apparel aimed at narrow segments such as snowboarders, racing fans and yoga enthusiasts.
Reebok is an international sportswear and accessories company. The headquarters is located in the Boston suburb of Canton (Massachusetts). It is currently a subsidiary of Adidas.
The reason for the founding of the British company Reebok was the logical desire of English athletes to run faster. So in 1890, Joseph William Foster made the first spiked running shoes. Until 1895, Foster was engaged in the fact that he manually made shoes for top-level athletes.
In 1958, two of Foster's grandsons founded a new company and named it after the African gazelle - Reebok. By 1981, Reebok was making $1.5 million in sales, but Reebok's biggest success was the following year. Reebok introduces the first sports shoe specifically for women, the FreestyleTM fitness trainer.
sportmaster
Demix is a brand of sportswear and footwear created by the Sportmaster chain of stores (sporting goods in Ukraine and Russia). The company was originally founded in Russia in 1992. Sportmaster came to Ukraine in 1996.
The Demix trademark appeared in 1994. As you know, in China, making clothes is cheap and designing sportswear and shoes is inexpensive. So, cheap sports uniforms and shoes appeared on the shelves of Sportmaster. The price for Demix products is at least 50% lower than for global brands like Adidas or Nike.
The history of the world's favorite brand of sports shoes began in the 1920s with the name Dassler. The first products were sleeping slippers made from decommissioned military uniforms and old car tires. Already by the beginning of World War II, the factory of the Dassler brothers was successfully producing football boots. After the end of the war in 1948, the Dassler factory was divided, forming two world-famous brands:
- Rudolf Dassler founded the Puma factory;
- his bat Adolf became the founder of the Adidas brand, at the same time the famous, well-known logo was formed.
Adidas is the world's most famous brand of sports shoes and clothing. Among his fans are not only professional athletes, but also ordinary people who prefer comfort and style in their clothes.
Sneakers under this brand can now be found at every step. But most of these products are counterfeit. Therefore, it is very important to know the subtleties by which you can at first glance determine the original thing.
Place of purchase
The main thing to remember is that in the market or in small stalls you certainly will not find real Adidas products. Original branded sneakers, sneakers or boots can only be sold in branded stores, on the official website or from an official representative of the brand.
It is also important to know that a real thing cannot be very cheap, since the high quality of products and the materials used in the manufacture are expensive and the manufacturer will not save on this.
Packaging and tags
A mandatory attribute of Adidas branded sports shoes is a box. Look at her carefully. All inscriptions must be made exactly and without errors. The serial number of the product on the box must match the number on the inside of the tongue. Using this code, you can check your model on the official website.
Don't be surprised if your pair of sneakers is made in China. Like all major global manufacturers, Adidas locates its factories in Asian countries. This significantly reduces the cost of production and allows you to keep prices at an affordable level for consumers.
The label on the tongue in the authentic model is sewn in even stitches with a very fine thread. This label indicates all the information without errors:
- manufacturer;
- the size;
- model serial number and color.
Quality fabric and straight seams
Adidas uses only high-quality fabrics and materials in its production. No protruding threads are allowed, everything should be very even and neat. There can be no glue smudges or streaks in original products. The sole is most often stitched, and the seam is hidden. In the photo below, the original sneakers are on the left, and the fake on the right.
The logo in real sneakers is embossed, and in fake ones it is glued or simply drawn. Also pay attention to the holes for the laces: if they are metal, then this is most likely a fake. In this case, be sure to check the product with the official website.
Look at the heel of the sneakers: if there is a small uncut triangle or a piece of leather, it is 100% fake.
In most models of sports shoes, the manufacturer gives the buyer a spare pair of laces. They must be neatly folded and packed in a film or bag.
Modern Adidas is a serious concern that produces both sports shoes and clothing, as well as sports equipment for professional competitions. Brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Rockport, Y-3 and TaylorMade Golf have concentrated under the wing of the company. In clothes and shoes of this brand, many outstanding athletes won medals and won competitions, including boxer Mohammed Ali, football player David Beckham, tennis players Steffi Graf and Marat Safin.
The emergence of the brand Adidas (Adidas)
The history of the creation of the Adidas brand began in the small German town of Herzogenaurach, where at the beginning of the 20th century the family company for the production of sports shoes Dassler was born and began to prosper. One of the two brothers Adolf (Adi for short) was in charge of the production process. Being a creative person, he also invented new models of shoes for the company. So, it was he who invented the studded football boots that are popular today, and the local blacksmith made the spikes for the boots.
After the death of their father, the brothers Adolf and Rudolf, who continue the family business, seriously quarreled. As a result of their quarrel in 1948, the company's factories were divided between them. Adi's factory was named Adidas (short for ADI DASsler), and Rudolph got his own company, Puma. After that, the brothers finally stopped communicating, and the Adidas and Puma brands remain serious competitors in the sports goods market to this day.
At the same time, a simple and recognizable Adidas symbol appeared - three stripes. This sign was well suited to the laconic sports style of the products and indicated the three steps for moving forward for the athlete. In addition, he recalls the main principles of the company: its products must be appropriate for a particular sport, be comfortable and reliably protect the athlete.
Adidas brand country - Germany
The best time for the company came in the 60s and 70s, when athletes who chose Adidas shoes for the Olympic competition bring gold and silver medals to their countries. In 1972, the Olympic Games are held in the home country of the Adidas brand Germany (Munich), in which it becomes the main sponsor. At the same time, the updated symbol of the company “shamrock” was born, denoting the unity of the three continents thanks to the sports Olympic spirit.
In the late 70s, after the death of the founder, the company was taken over by his widow Katharina and shortly after by their son Horst. His early death led to dramatic events in the life of the enterprise. Since Adi's daughters did not have the pragmatic streak of their father, 80% of the company's shares had to be sold to the Frenchman Bernard Tapie in 1989. However, even this step did not save the situation. The world was changing, and with it the needs and tastes of consumers, who became more interested in the products of the creative and energetic competitors Nike and Reebok.
Only the arrival of a completely new team led by R.L. Dreyfus, who was aware of the full potential of the brand, could turn the tide and write a new story for the Adidas brand. Dreyfus offered more favorable terms of cooperation to managers, technologists and designers from competing companies, and in addition, he began to move production to Asian countries, which significantly reduced the cost of the process. These factors have helped Adidas products regain their leading position in the global market and become the main sponsor of the 96 Olympic Games.
New features of the Adidas brand
Since the late 90s, Adidas has been actively developing, acquiring the Salomon company, which specialized in winter sports products, the former competitor of Reebok, and a number of other brands.
Today's company is no longer a family business, but its center is still located in Germany in Herzogenauerach, where the history of the Adidas brand once began. In order to once again be on the crest of the wave, Adidas managers turned their attention to the youth trends of hip-hop and rap, which helped them increase the number of their fans. So, in 2004, the company's designers, together with Missy Elliott, developed a whole collection of women's clothing and shoes called Respect M.E., which translates from English as "respect me."
In addition, the company is constantly working on the creation of new products and the introduction of its own technologies, attracting such eminent personalities as Stella McCartney or Yoji Yamamoto to create the next collection.
The Adidas brand today presents a wide range of products: from comfortable, practical and stylish shoes to original sportswear and accessories, not only for adults, but also for teenagers and very young children.
Now adidas is one of the leaders in the sports market. Among its products you can choose equipment for any sport. Today, these are stylish and comfortable things created on the basis of the latest technologies in collaboration with designers and world-class stars.
How were things before? How was adidas born? How did it all start? Today we decided to tell you the story of the creation and development of adidas.
On the official website of the adidas Group, the company was founded on August 18, 1949, but in fact the story began much earlier.
In 1924, two brothers, Rudolf (Rudi) and Adolf (Adi) Dassler, lived in the small Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach. Their father worked in a shoe factory and their mother worked as a laundress. Both brothers had just returned from the war, the younger Adi started making shoes in the back room of his mother's house. Then his older brother Rudolf joined him - this was the beginning of the history of the cult brand. Soon the brothers opened a small factory and named it the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.
The company was engaged in sewing slippers and sports orthopedic shoes for disabled athletes, of which there were quite a lot after the war. Their custom handmade shoes began to gain popularity and 4 years later, in 1928, the shoes of the Dassler brothers could be seen on the feet of athletes in Amsterdam during the 1928 Olympics. In the same year, the first studded football boots in history, which the brothers created, received a patent from the German bureau. However, their real success came in 1936 when they traveled to Berlin to present a pair of sneakers to Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold medals that same year. After that, the world sports community turned its attention to the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.
However, closer to the forties of the 20th century, when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, disagreements arose between the brothers, which reached their peak in the mid-40s of the 20th century. In 1947, Rudy left the company in order to create his own brand - Ruda (Rudolf + Dassler), which was later renamed Puma.
And this event takes us straight to August 1949 - the official founding date of adidas (the younger brother was more fortunate with the combination of the first parts of his name and surname: Adi + Dass).
After the brothers separated, they agreed among themselves not to use the symbols of their factory, but Adi violated the agreement and developed the first official logo of the newborn adidas company - three stripes, simply adding one more to the two stripes of the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. In the same decades, fierce competition began between the two brothers and, accordingly, between the two sports companies.
In the same year, Adolf creates the first boots with removable rubber spikes.
The younger brother got the final victory over his older brother in 1954 at the World Cup, when Adi agreed with a German coach and adidas sponsored the German football team that won the World Cup. Since that moment, Adi has become one of the world's leading sports brands, and sneakers have become not only an attribute of sportswear, but also everyday wear.
The first attempt at diversification was the production of sports bags. And although sneakers remain the main production, Adolf is looking for a partner who will take over the production of clothing. By chance, at some party, he meets the owner of a textile factory, Willy Seltenreich, and orders him a thousand tracksuits with three stripes along the sleeves. The goods went well, and the partners liked each other so much that soon Seltenreich began to sew only for Adidas.
In 1968, adidas was the first in the world of sports shoes to produce a molded polyurethane sole with a one-year warranty on it. Subsequently, this technology has gained worldwide popularity and is currently used everywhere.
In 1970, the adidas Telstar ball becomes the official ball of the World Cup in Mexico.
In 1972, adidas became the title sponsor of the Munich Olympics, and the German national team became the European Football Champion. The appearance of the famous "shamrock" of the company. Three sheets indicate the presence of the company on three continents of the world.
In 1978, Adolf Dassler dies and the management of the company passes to his widow Katharina.
Thanks to the actions taken by Adolf Dassler in the distant past, adidas sports and casual apparel, shoes and sports accessories are now loved and worn all over the world.
The adidas Group is now one of the world leaders in the sports goods industry and offers a wide range of products from key brands: adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, Rockport and Reebok-CCM Hockey. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the company employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and generated total sales of 14.9 billion euros in 2012.
