Founded in 1949, the history of Adidas is the history of modern sports. Synonymous with every kind of sporting event, Adidas has managed to achieve that all-important factor – the crossover into mainstream fashion.
Adidas as a brand is now one of the most well known and most widely copied labels in the world. The sheer number of imitations is testament to the design purity, style and flair that the label manages to achieve. Its products don’t just look good and perform well on the track and field – they’ve made the move into mainstream, urban street fashion as well. And it’s in this arena that Adidas has made the biggest inroads. Adidas was one of the first major sports brands to be picked up by street fashion pundits and lauded as comfortable, practical but stylish everyday wear for the masses. The other major sports brands quickly followed suit, but Adidas is still the big player for urban sports fashion.
Probably best known for its sports shoes and trainers, Adidas has built up an entire brand identity, producing every type of casual wear sports clothing from tee-shirts to underwear. But it will be permanently associated with the classic design sneaker with the characteristic and iconic three-banded motif on the sides. Its classic sneakers are often re-issued as limited editions and the brand has recently celebrated its 60th birthday with a relaunch of many of its best known ranges. Adidas is still at the head of the field when it comes to sports fashion.
