Adidas

As Europe's largest sportswear manufacturer, adidas was founded in 1924 by Adolf "Adi" Dassler in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Adolf began making his own athletic shoes in his mother's kitchen upon his return from World War I. In 1936, Dassler drove to Berlin for the Summer Olympics to persuade American sprinter Jesse Owens to wear his track shoes. Owens ultimately won four Gold medals during the Games, which solidified the reputation of Dassler's shoes among athletes.

During the 1980s, adidas made a huge impact on youth culture and the hip-hop scene--an effect largely sparked by rap legends Run DMC who wore their adidas sneakers with no laces and the tongues sticking out. The group's shoe of choice was the adidas Superstar, which is still one of the best-selling and most iconic sneaker models of all time.

Today, the adidas brand is divided into segments, which include adidas Performance designed for athletes and adidas Originals with a focus on fashion.

adidas supports and encourages the love of the game--no matter the game. With adidas, "impossible is nothing."