Timeline
1920
Adolf and brother Rudolf make their first shoe.
14/01/19201924
The brothers found Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (“Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory”).
08/01/19241928
Dassler shoes are worn at the Olympics for the first time, with German 800 meter runner Lina Radke-Batschauer becoming the first athlete to win gold in Dassler shoes
10/02/19281931
The company releases the first shoe marketed specifically for tennis.
03/03/1931
1951
adidas buys the three-stripe trademark from Finnish brand Karhu, reportedly for two bottles of whisky and the equivalent of $1,800. Previous Dassler shoes had featured two, three, and four support stripes. Jesse Owens wore two-striped Dassler shoes at the 1936 Olympics.
Learn More01/03/19511965
The brand releases a leather tennis shoe named after French player Robert Haillet.
Learn More01/11/19651978
Adolf Dassler dies on September 6, aged 77.
06/09/1978
1980
Adidas releases the Campus sneaker.
01/04/1980