Is adidas a German company or an American company?

adidas is a German brand operated by adidas AG, a German publicly listed company. Adolf Dassler founded the adidas company in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in 1949.

Who owns adidas and Puma?

No single company owns both adidas and Puma. Adolf Dassler founded adidas, while his brother Rudolf Dassler founded Puma after the brothers separated.

Who owns adidas Yeezy?

adidas AG owned the adidas Yeezy business and sold the remaining Yeezy inventory in 2024. adidas reported no Yeezy revenue in 2025 after completing that inventory sale.

Who owns adidas and Reebok?

adidas AG acquired Reebok in a transaction completed in 2006, but Reebok is no longer part of adidas AG’s current brand portfolio. adidas AG remains the ultimate owner of the adidas brand.

Is adidas true to size?

adidas sizing can vary by product, construction and intended use. Shoppers should use the size guide for the specific adidas product and compare the listed measurements with the intended fit.

What is the adidas Samba?

The adidas Samba is an adidas footwear model that began as a football shoe and became a lifestyle sneaker. The model is part of adidas’s footwear and sport-inspired lifestyle range.

Does adidas make products in Germany?

adidas originated in Germany and has its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, but adidas mainly uses independent manufacturing partners in Asia. In 2025, 92 percent of adidas’s total production volume was manufactured in Asia.

Who owns adidas?

adidas

Ultimate ownerGermanyadidas AG

Brand origin: Germany
Main production: Several countries, incl. Spain

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About adidas

What is adidas?

adidas is a sportswear brand founded by Adolf “Adi” Dassler in Germany in 1949. adidas makes footwear, apparel and accessories for sports and sport-inspired everyday wear. adidas AG operates the brand from its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. adidas’s official website is adidas.com. The adidas brand is associated with the three-stripes design, which Adolf Dassler registered with the adidas name in 1949. The company’s products include football boots, running shoes, lifestyle sneakers, sports clothing and accessories. adidas reported net sales of €24.811 billion in 2025. Footwear represented 57 percent of 2025 net sales, apparel represented 35 percent and accessories represented the remaining share. Wholesale accounted for 60 percent of total net sales in 2025, while direct-to-consumer sales through adidas-owned stores and e-commerce accounted for 40 percent. The adidas brand operates in the global sportswear market alongside competitors including Nike and Puma. adidas’s headquarters and historical origin are both in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany.

Who owns adidas?

adidas is ultimately owned by adidas AG, according to Made O’Meter’s ownership data verified on 13 September 2026. adidas AG is a publicly listed company headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The adidas brand is operated within adidas AG. adidas AG is not owned by a single Dassler family member. The Dassler family sold its shares in adidas in 1990, ending family ownership of the company. On 7 July 1990, the family sold its shares to French businessman Bernard Tapie. Tapie acquired an 80 percent stake and became adidas’s primary owner. A group of European investors purchased adidas from Bernard Tapie in 1993 for approximately $371 million. Robert Louis-Dreyfus became chairman of adidas in 1993 and helped return the company to profitability and prominence. adidas changed its legal name to adidas AG in 1989. The company was listed on the German stock exchange with an initial value of 50 million Deutsche Marks. adidas AG remains the ultimate owner of the adidas brand.

Where does adidas come from?

adidas comes from Herzogenaurach, Germany, where Adolf Dassler registered the Adolf Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik on 18 August 1949 with 47 employees. The adidas brand was created after Adolf Dassler separated from his brother Rudolf Dassler. The company that preceded adidas was Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, founded by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler in Herzogenaurach in 1924. After the brothers separated, Rudolf Dassler went on to found Puma in 1948, while Adolf Dassler established the adidas company in 1949. Adolf Dassler began producing shoes with the three stripes in 1949. He registered both the adidas name and the three-stripes trademark design that year. The adidas name is derived from Adolf Dassler’s name, using “Adi,” his nickname, and “Das,” the beginning of his surname. adidas is therefore not an acronym. adidas is a German brand and adidas AG is a German company.

What products does adidas make?

adidas makes sports footwear, apparel and accessories for activities including football, running and other sports, as well as lifestyle products. adidas footwear includes football boots, running shoes, training shoes and lifestyle sneakers. The Predator football boot was introduced in 1994. adidas launched Boost running technology in 2013. adidas apparel includes football shirts, tracksuits, sports clothing and sport-inspired streetwear. The Franz Beckenbauer tracksuit debuted in 1967 as adidas’s first apparel product. adidas introduced a lifestyle segment focused on sports-inspired streetwear in 2001. adidas accessories include products made for sport and everyday use. The adidas product range is sold through wholesale partners, adidas-owned stores and adidas e-commerce channels. adidas also has product and collaboration lines associated with names such as Y-3, a collaboration with designer Yohji Yamamoto. The wider adidas business previously included TaylorMade after adidas acquired the Salomon Group in 1997. TaylorMade had been acquired by Salomon in 1984.

How did adidas become a global sportswear company?

adidas became a global sportswear company by combining specialist athletic footwear with apparel, lifestyle products, technology and international distribution. A major early moment came in 1954, when adidas supplied the West German national football team with shoes using innovative screw-in studs. The shoes helped the team win the 1954 World Cup final against Hungary. adidas expanded beyond footwear when the Franz Beckenbauer tracksuit became its first apparel product in 1967. The company later developed sport-inspired lifestyle products and introduced a lifestyle segment in 2001. adidas acquired the Salomon Group in 1997 for 942 million Deutsche Marks and thereafter used the name adidas-Salomon. The acquisition brought TaylorMade into the adidas portfolio. adidas announced the acquisition of Reebok in 2005 and completed the transaction in 2006 for approximately €3.1 billion, or $3.8 billion, including the assumption of net cash. adidas later sold Reebok, and Reebok is not part of adidas AG’s current ownership of the adidas brand. In 2025, adidas reported sales of €8.136 billion in Europe, €5.087 billion in North America and €3.623 billion in Greater China. These figures describe adidas AG’s reported regional sales and show the scale of the company’s business in major markets.

Where are adidas products made?

adidas products are mainly made by independent manufacturing partners in Asia. adidas outsources almost 100 percent of its production to independent manufacturing partners. Vietnam was adidas’s largest sourcing country in 2025, accounting for 27 percent of total production volume. Indonesia accounted for 18 percent and China accounted for 16 percent. Asia produced 92 percent of adidas’s total production volume in 2025. adidas also has creation capabilities in Herzogenaurach, Portland, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Tokyo. The country where an adidas product is manufactured can differ from the country where the adidas brand originated. adidas originated in Germany, while most adidas products in 2025 were manufactured in Asian production locations.

Is adidas publicly traded and who is the CEO of adidas?

adidas is publicly traded through adidas AG, and Bjørn Gulden is the CEO of adidas AG. adidas changed its legal name to adidas AG in 1989 and was listed on the German stock exchange with an initial value of 50 million Deutsche Marks. The Dassler family later sold its shares in 1990, and adidas has not been family-owned since then. Bjørn Gulden became CEO of adidas in 2023. adidas AG’s headquarters are in Herzogenaurach, Germany. adidas AG’s 2025 net sales were €24.811 billion. adidas AG reported operating profit of €2.056 billion in 2025.

Is adidas bigger than Nike?

Nike and adidas are both major global sportswear companies, but adidas’s 2025 reported net sales were €24.811 billion, while a like-for-like comparison requires using Nike’s corresponding reporting period and currency. adidas reported 2025 sales of €8.136 billion in Europe, €5.087 billion in North America and €3.623 billion in Greater China. adidas’s largest product category in 2025 was footwear, followed by apparel and accessories. Whether Nike or adidas is “bigger” depends on the measure used, such as annual revenue, market value, geographic sales, footwear sales or brand value. A revenue comparison should use the same period and consistent currency treatment.

Are Puma and adidas brothers?

Puma and adidas were founded by brothers Rudolf Dassler and Adolf Dassler, respectively. Adolf and Rudolf Dassler founded Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik in Herzogenaurach in 1924. After the brothers separated, Adolf established adidas in 1949 and Rudolf subsequently founded Puma. Puma and adidas are separate companies. adidas AG ultimately owns adidas, while Puma is not owned by adidas AG.

Frequently asked questions about adidas

Who owns adidas now?: adidas is ultimately owned by adidas AG, a publicly listed company headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The Dassler family sold its shares in 1990, ending family ownership.
Is adidas a German company or an American company?: adidas is a German brand operated by adidas AG, a German publicly listed company. Adolf Dassler founded the adidas company in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in 1949.
Who owns adidas and Puma?: No single company owns both adidas and Puma. Adolf Dassler founded adidas, while his brother Rudolf Dassler founded Puma after the brothers separated.
Who owns adidas Yeezy?: adidas AG owned the adidas Yeezy business and sold the remaining Yeezy inventory in 2024. adidas reported no Yeezy revenue in 2025 after completing that inventory sale.
Who owns adidas and Reebok?: adidas AG acquired Reebok in a transaction completed in 2006, but Reebok is no longer part of adidas AG’s current brand portfolio. adidas AG remains the ultimate owner of the adidas brand.
Is adidas true to size?: adidas sizing can vary by product, construction and intended use. Shoppers should use the size guide for the specific adidas product and compare the listed measurements with the intended fit.
What is the adidas Samba?: The adidas Samba is an adidas footwear model that began as a football shoe and became a lifestyle sneaker. The model is part of adidas’s footwear and sport-inspired lifestyle range.
Does adidas make products in Germany?: adidas originated in Germany and has its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, but adidas mainly uses independent manufacturing partners in Asia. In 2025, 92 percent of adidas’s total production volume was manufactured in Asia.