B2 Reading: Adidas vs Puma, a Family Feud That Shaped an Industry
Read the article about Adidas and Puma and fill in the gaps.
Few business rivalries have a story as dramatic as the one between Adidas and Puma. Both were born from a single family company, and both are still based in the same small Bavarian town, Herzogenaurach, a century later.
In 1924, brothers Adolf "Adi" and Rudolf Dassler began making shoes in their mother's laundry room. Adi was the craftsman; Rudolf was the outgoing salesman. Their big break came at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when they the American sprinter Jesse Owens to wear their running shoes. Owens won four gold medals, and the Dassler name became known around the world.
Yet the brothers' relationship gradually . Historians still disagree about the causes: personal , tensions between their wives, and suspicions during and after the Second World War, when each brother believed the other had betrayed him. In 1948, they split the business. Adi founded Adidas, while Rudolf set up the company that soon became Puma.
The divided Herzogenaurach in two. Workers were fiercely to their employer, shopping in different bakeries, drinking in different pubs and supporting different football clubs. Marrying someone from the other side was not accepted. The town became known as "the town of bent necks", because locals would glance at a stranger's shoes before deciding whether to speak.
The rivalry also pushed both companies to . Adidas boots with screw-in studs are said to have helped West Germany win the 1954 World Cup, and the battle to sign star athletes helped create the modern world of sports . The brothers never made peace, and they are buried at opposite ends of the same cemetery.
Today, the balance of power has firmly towards Adidas, which is several times bigger than its neighbour. In 2026, Puma is going through what its management calls a "transition year", with falling sales, losses and job cuts. In October, the Chinese sportswear group Anta completed the purchase of a 29% , becoming Puma's largest shareholder. In a twist the founders could never have imagined, Puma is now run by a long-time Adidas executive, while Adidas's chief executive is the former head of Puma.
Nearly eighty years after the split, the two companies remain competitors, but the rivalry is no longer about family pride. It is about in a global market dominated by Nike and increasingly challenged by ambitious newcomers from China.
In 1924, brothers Adolf "Adi" and Rudolf Dassler began making shoes in their mother's laundry room. Adi was the craftsman; Rudolf was the outgoing salesman. Their big break came at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when they the American sprinter Jesse Owens to wear their running shoes. Owens won four gold medals, and the Dassler name became known around the world.
Yet the brothers' relationship gradually . Historians still disagree about the causes: personal , tensions between their wives, and suspicions during and after the Second World War, when each brother believed the other had betrayed him. In 1948, they split the business. Adi founded Adidas, while Rudolf set up the company that soon became Puma.
The divided Herzogenaurach in two. Workers were fiercely to their employer, shopping in different bakeries, drinking in different pubs and supporting different football clubs. Marrying someone from the other side was not accepted. The town became known as "the town of bent necks", because locals would glance at a stranger's shoes before deciding whether to speak.
The rivalry also pushed both companies to . Adidas boots with screw-in studs are said to have helped West Germany win the 1954 World Cup, and the battle to sign star athletes helped create the modern world of sports . The brothers never made peace, and they are buried at opposite ends of the same cemetery.
Today, the balance of power has firmly towards Adidas, which is several times bigger than its neighbour. In 2026, Puma is going through what its management calls a "transition year", with falling sales, losses and job cuts. In October, the Chinese sportswear group Anta completed the purchase of a 29% , becoming Puma's largest shareholder. In a twist the founders could never have imagined, Puma is now run by a long-time Adidas executive, while Adidas's chief executive is the former head of Puma.
Nearly eighty years after the split, the two companies remain competitors, but the rivalry is no longer about family pride. It is about in a global market dominated by Nike and increasingly challenged by ambitious newcomers from China.