Dassler brothers feud

The Dassler brothers feud was a conflict between two brothers and their respective shoe manufacturers, Adolf ("Adi") and Rudolf ("Rudi") Dassler, in the latter half of the 20th century. Their feud led to the creation of Adidas and Puma, two of the biggest shoe manufacturing companies, and started a long-lasting rivalry between the two companies, reflected in rivalries between football clubs and a culture of animosity between Puma and Adidas employees that divided their home town.[1] The most notable event that fuelled the rivalry was the "Pelé Pact", where both agreed not to sign a deal with Pelé for the 1970 World Cup, feeling that a bidding war for the most famous athlete in the world would become too expensive, only for Puma to break the pact and sign him.[2][3]

  1. ^ Schwär, Hannah. "Puma and Adidas' rivalry has divided a small German town for 70 years — here's what it looks like now". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  2. ^ "Was Pele paid to tie his shoes during the 1970 World Cup final?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  3. ^ "One of the Greatest Marketing Plays of All Time Was a Pair of Untied Pumas". Medium. Retrieved 13 September 2023.