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Witness History: Adi Dassler's sports shoe obsession

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Adi Dassler's sports shoe obsession

22/05/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, Adi Dassler's sports shoe obsession

How an argument between the Dassler brothers led to the creation of Adidas and Puma

A family feud in 1948 between Adi and Rudi Dassler led to sportswear firms Adidas and Puma being created. Adi's daughter, Sigi Dassler, remembers his obsession with sports shoes.

How the Dassler brothers created two global sportswear firms.

In 1948, Adi and Rudi Dassler who lived in a small German town fell out. They went on to set up Adidas and Puma. 

Adi Dassler played a crucial role in West Germany's victory in the 1954 World Cup with his game-changing footwear. 

In 2022, Reena Stanton-Sharma spoke to Adi's daughter Sigi Dassler, who remembers her dad’s obsession with sports shoes and talks about her fondness for rappers Run-DMC, who paid tribute to her dad’s shoes in their 1986 song My Adidas.

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