Although Adi and Rudi have passed away, their legacy still lives on in the products they created. The story of the Dassler brothers is a story of dreams, hard work, and competition that inspired many people.
In addition to competing in the sports shoe market, Adidas and Puma also involved in social and political feud in their hometown, Herzogenaurach.
The city was divided into two camps, namely supporters of Adidas and supporters of Puma. These camps were hostile and did not want to interact with each other.
Even, there were some shops, restaurants, and bars that only served customers from one camp.
The feud between Adidas and Puma also affected the world of sports, especially soccer. In 1970, Puma managed to get a contract with Pele, the star of Brazilian soccer who was considered the best player of all time.
Pele was asked to tie his Puma shoes in front of the camera before the World Cup final match against Italy. This action made Puma get a huge publicity and increase its shoe sales.
In 1974, Adidas retaliated by getting a contract with Franz Beckenbauer, the captain of the German national team who won the World Cup that year. Beckenbauer became the first player to win the World Cup as a player and coach, and also became an ambassador for Adidas. Adidas also supported the German national team that won the World Cup in 1990 and 2014.
The competition between Adidas and Puma lasted for several decades, until they finally made peace in 2009.
In that year, employees from both companies participated in the Peace One Day charity event and played soccer together.
This event was a symbol of reconciliation and respect for Adi and Rudi Dassler, who had created history in the sports shoe industry.*