The Dassler family name is associated with Adidas, founded by Adolf Dassler in Germany in 1949.
Adolf Dassler, widely known as Adi, registered Adidas after separating from his brother Rudolf Dassler. The brothers had previously operated the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. Rudolf later founded Puma, making the two globally famous sportswear companies family-linked rivals.
Adidas became internationally prominent after athletes wearing its shoes performed well at major sporting events, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup. The name Adidas combines Adolf Dassler’s nickname, Adi, with part of his surname.
A common mix-up is to identify Puma as an Adidas subsidiary. Puma was founded by Rudolf Dassler and is a separate company. Adolf’s company was formally registered as Adidas AG in 1949.