The Dassler brothers built one shoe factory — then split it into Adidas and Puma

Adolf 'Adi' Dassler and Rudolf 'Rudi' Dassler ran the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik — the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory — in the small Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach from the 1920s. Their spikes were worn by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The business was a partnership of equals: Adi made the shoes, Rudi sold them.

During the Second World War, the relationship deteriorated. The exact cause of the final break is disputed. One version says Rudi, returning from military service, overheard Adi's wife say 'the bastards are back' — referring to Allied soldiers, but Rudi believed she meant him. Another version cites business disagreements over the factory's wartime production. A third points to long-simmering tensions between the brothers' wives. No single account is documented; all are retold.

In 1948, the brothers divided the company. Adi took the factory and the name Adidas — from 'Adi Dassler'. Rudi took the other half and founded Puma, originally called 'Ruda'. The town of Herzogenaurach split with them: employees, shops, even schools divided into Adidas and Puma camps. The brothers never reconciled.

Both companies became global sportswear giants. Adidas is the largest sportswear company in Europe; Puma is the third-largest worldwide. The split created two competitors where one company had been, and the rivalry defined both brands' identities for decades. Adi and Rudi Dassler are buried in the same cemetery in Herzogenaurach, at opposite ends.