Adidas vs. Reebok: Surprising Facts About The Iconic Shoe Brands

Adidas and Reebok – two giants of the sneaker world united under one owner. But how much do you really know about the origins and evolution behind their famous footwear?

Let’s unearth some of the most fascinating untold stories, product innovations, and marketing trivia that made Adidas and Reebok rivals turned partners standing the test of time. Lace up and learn!

Chapter 1: Dramatic and Daring Origins

Adidas and Reebok came from humble, risky beginnings:

• Adidas started in 1920s Germany with two feuding brothers making spikes in their mother’s laundry room.
• Reebok founder Joseph Foster came up with the name by randomly rearranging “kangaroo” shoes into “Reebok” in 1958.
• Foster originally wanted to call Reeboks “gazelles” but found the name taken, so he improvised.
• Adidas struck gold early on by sponsoring Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics, who won 4 golds in their shoes.

Both brands got creative and bold with origins tied deeply to family. Foster and the Dassler brothers built empires from scratch through craftsmanship and grit.

Chapter 2: Technology Game-Changers

Adidas and Reebok also pioneered many performance-enhancing technologies:

• Adidas created the first low-top basketball shoes (1964), breathable mesh shoes (1971), and full-length Boost midsoles (2013).
• Reebok invented the first athletic shoes designed exclusively for women (1982), along with Pump inflatable technology (1989).
• Adidas Flyknit uppers reduced weight using engineered knitting technologies beginning in 2012.
• Reebok’s DMX foam cushioning in the 1990s dynamically moved air where athletes needed it most.

By constantly innovating and taking risks, these brands carved out distinct performance advantages that changed sports.

Chapter 3: Marketing Coups and Controversies

Adidas and Reebok made bold, unconventional moves to grab consumer attention:

• In 1996, Reebok’s “Planet Reebok” ads were set in a fictional world populated only by Reebok wearers to promote alien-looking DMX shoes.
• Adidas inked endorsement deals with legends like Muhammad Ali, Run-DMC, and Kanye West that fused sports, music, and fashion.
• Reebok’s women-focused Freestyle aerobics shoe caused moral outrage in the 1980s but ultimately prevailed to become an icon.
• Adidas weathered Nazi ties early on when founder Adi Dassler was briefly jailed for being a member of the Nazi party.

Through savvy partnerships and willingness to be provocative, these brands made marketing history. Controversy sometimes led to lasting cultural impact.

Surprising Journeys Building Iconic Legacies

The winding stories behind Adidas and Reebok reveal how unexpected origins led to global footwear empires:

Improvising names in living rooms. Taking chances on banned technologies. Weathering controversies and moral outrage. Collaborating with renegade artists and athletes.

Both brands repeatedly defied norms and conventions on their path to greatness. After improbable beginnings, they wrote defining chapters in sneaker culture together.

Shop Iconic Adidas and Reebok Footwear

Want to experience innovative performance and heritage style from these storied shoe brands yourself? Shop the latest Adidas and Reebok sneakers online.

Find Adidas classics like Superstars and Stans Smiths alongside visionary Boost runners. Reebok offers vintage models like Freestyles plus reinvented designs like Nano training shoes.

Whichever models move you, you’ll rep intertwining stories of risk and invention that created icons. Lace into bold thinking that never stopped evolving.