A RIVALRY FOR THE PEOPLE
While most people around the world wear Adidas and Puma apparel, they aren't aware of the brands' captivating and somewhat tragic origin stories.
Prior to the creation of Adidas and Puma, two brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler co-owned their shoe company located in their hometown Herzogenaurach, Germany. It wasn’t until the 1940s when tension among the brothers turned for the worse and one of the greatest family rivalries in all of history was born.
During World War II, a bombing attack occurred in Herzogenaurach. Adolf and his wife secured themselves in a bomb shelter already inhabited by Rudolf and his wife. Adolf allegedly announced “the dirty bastards are back again,” supposedly referring to the Allies who were destroying Herzogenaurach at the time. That said; Rudolf passionately believed Adolf’s comment was directed towards him and his wife.
As the war ended, Adolf and Rudolf’s relationship vanished. The Dassler brothers decided to go their separate ways to create their own shoe businesses. Adolf stayed on one side of the river in Herzogenaurach, and Rudolf moved to the opposite side of the river in Herzogenaurach.
Adolf created Adidas, combining his first and last names together, while Rudolf created Puma.
The rivalry grew extensively within Herzogenaurach, to the point where people would only talk to another person if and only if that person wore a pair of shoes from the same company you were wearing.
The rivalry remained for years on end. Rudolf passed away in 1974 and Adolf passed away in 1978. Both their graves are planted on the complete opposite ends of the town as far away from each other as possible.
Which brand are you wearing?
SOURCES: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2089859_2089888_2089889,00.html