After the First World War, the sports-obsessed German Adi Dassler started designing tracks shoes out of 'found' materials. While making them he followed three basic rules: He wanted to produce shoes, which meets optimally the requirements of sport, the athlete should be protected from injuries and the product should be really sustainable.
Come the mid-'20s he was sticking spikes through the soles of his shoes to improve grip and by 1948 Dassler had come up with the idea of splicing his first name and surname together forming the brand name known today: ADIDAS.
In 1949 Adidas registered their distinctive triple-striped logo, and when the Adidas-wearing German team smashed their winning goal to the back of Hungary's net in the 1954 World Cup final, the brand's legend was secured.
For a while the brand's profile was lowered, until being resurrected by music fans in the early '80s who imitated the dress of their pop idols "The Stone Roses" and "The Happy Mondays".
"The Gazelle" became an object of lust when Madonna lounged on a chaise lounge in this video, prompting Camden Market to start a bidding war on the then rare product.
Today Michael Michalsky is global creative director of Adidas.
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