24 Facts About Adolf Dassler

Adolf "Adi" Dassler was a German cobbler, inventor, entrepreneur, and member of the Nazi Party who founded the German sportswear company Adidas.

Adolf Dassler was the younger brother of Rudolf Dassler, founder of Puma.

Adolf Dassler became quite adept at modifying available devices to help mechanize production in the absence of electricity.

Adolf Dassler produced one of the earliest spiked shoes, with spikes forged by the smithy of the family of his friend Fritz Zehlein.

Adolf Dassler constantly experimented with various materials to create strong but lightweight shoes.

Adolf Dassler testified that he was involved in clubs of other political affiliations, such as a liberal gymnastic club, Herzogenaurach's conservative KHC football club and a workers' sports club named "The Union".

Adolf Dassler became a frequent house guest of Martz, who permitted Adolf Dassler's attentions to his fifteen-year-old daughter, Kathe Martz.

Adolf Dassler would have frequent run-ins with Adi's parents and Rudolf and his wife, all of whom lived in the same house.

Adolf Dassler saw the 1936 Berlin Olympics as the key springboard for international exposure.

Adolf Dassler found his way to meeting Owens and wordlessly offered his shoes to the American star.

The Adolf Dassler firm was permitted to operate, but its production was severely curtailed.

Rudolf, angry that his younger brother was determined to be the leader of the Adolf Dassler firm, began to assert himself among family members.

Fritz Adolf Dassler, who was not on speaking terms with Adi, made a similar decision laying off a teenaged seamstress who worked for his lederhosen-turned-army-pouch manufacturer, but had worked previously for four years for Adi.

In December 1943 the shoe-making machinery of the Adolf Dassler firm was replaced by spot-welding machines.

Adolf Dassler noted that both Rudolf's wife and his brother Adi testified that Rudolf had worked for the Gestapo.

Adolf Dassler claimed that his brother had falsely denounced him and that Adi had made political speeches to employees at the plant.

Adolf Dassler fell upon the idea of coloring the straps used for reinforcement on the sides of the shoes a different color than the shoes themselves.

Adolf Dassler experimented with different numbers of straps and ultimately decided on three.

In March 1949 Adolf Dassler registered the three stripe logo as the company's trademark.

Herberger began an association with the Adolf Dassler firm having been cultivated by Rudolf Adolf Dassler.

Adolf Dassler learned of 18 year old Fritz Walter in 1938 and began grooming him for the team.

Adolf Dassler was married to Kathe until his death from heart failure in 1978.

In 1973, their son Horst Adolf Dassler founded Arena, a producer of swimming equipment.

In 2006, a sculpture of Adolf Dassler was unveiled in the Adi Adolf Dassler Stadium in Herzogenaurach.