Article: How did a shoe company turn into the king of global sportswear?
How did a shoe company turn into the king of global sportswear?
It started with a swap deal, a French football legend, and a secret lab.
In the 1960s, Umbro distributed Adidas boots in Great Britain, while Adidas distributed Umbro jerseys across European clubs.
When the 1970s clothing boom hit, a civil war erupted across the Rhine:
- Adidas Germany acquired Erima for classic teamwear, keeping founder Adi Dassler focused strictly on footwear.
- Adidas France, led by Adi's ambitious son Horst, poached Jean Wendling-who had entered the apparel trade working alongside French football legend Raymond Kopa. Armed with Swiss Helanca® elastic yarn technology and the acquisition of the Ventex R&D lab in Troyes, Adidas France out-created its German parent company, turning athletic kits into global fashion.
"The boss sometimes told us that he wondered what his son was up to... This fancy clothing business was foreign to him. He was and remained a shoemaker." - Uwe Seeler
"When German managers asked to be shown around at Ventex, I made sure that the lab remained tightly sealed." - Jean Wendling
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.