Straddling the river of Aurach in the German state of Bavaria lies the small town of Herzogenaurach. It was here in the late 1940s, the Dassler brothers, Adolf and Rudolf, decided to go their own separate ways after a bitter family quarrel. They each started a shoe business, and each company went on to become a giant in the world of sporting goods. But the family feud that started it all soon split on to the streets dividing the town into two distinct faction. This is the story of Puma and Adidas.
Rudolf Dassler, the elder of the Dassler brothers, was born in 1898 and Adolf, who was known to his friends as “Adi”, was born in 1900. Their father worked in a shoe factory, and one might assume that his occupation served as the inspiration for the brothers' foray into the shoe business. In reality, Adi’s father wanted his younger son to become a baker, while Rudolf aspired to become a policeman.
The Dassler brothers before the fallout. Rudolf (left) and Adi (right). At the center is track and field athlete Josef Waitzer who helped the brothers make Dassler shoes in the beginning. Photo credit: Adi & Käthe Dassler Memorial Foundation
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