21/06/2022
In regards to sports brands, Adidas is up there as one of the best. Whether you’re already a fanatic looking to find the best pieces out there, or you’re just wanting to get to know a bit more about the brand and where you should start your collection, we’ll tell you all there is to know.
A Bit Of History
1924 - Adi Dassler, from Germany, set out on a mission to provide athletes with the best sports gear possible. After starting out in his mother’s kitchen, he registered the ‘Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik’ (meaning the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory).
1928 - Lina Radke received gold medals wearing Dassler’s shoes in Amsterdam and Berlin.
1949 - Adi Dassler started over and registered as ‘Adi Dassler aadidas Sportschuhfabrik’, with 47 employees in a small town in Germany. That same year he also registered a shoe that included the registration of the Adidas 3-Stripes.
1954 - The German national football team beat the Hungarians in the World Cup final, making Adidas and its founder a household name within football.
1967 - Adidas released the Franz Beckenbauer Tracksuit, opening a whole new business of apparel for the company known for its shoes.
1970 - Adidas designed and delivered the official ball, TELSTAR, for the FIFA World Cup, designed to improve visibility on the black and white television screens.
1972 - the Olympic Games were opening in Munich, and Adidas made sure their new logo was ready for the world to see at the big event: the Trefoil, which symbolised performance.
1978 - Adi Dassler died at the age of 77. His wife, Kathe, took over the company with the support of her son, Horst.
1986 - US-based hip hop group, Run-D.M.C. released their song “My Adidas”. Adidas found out about the love they and their fans had for their trainers when the band held up the 3-Stripes shoes during a concert to 40,000 fans, which an Adidas employee was a part of. This was the start of Adidas creating sports-inspired streetwear.
1987 - Horst suddenly died, followed by his mother in 1990.
1990 - Adi Dassler’s daughters sold their shares. The change in leadership and strategic decisions caused record loss in 1992 and brought the company close to bankruptcy.
1993 - New CEO, Robert Louis-Dreyfus and his partner Christian Tourres knew that Adidas did not need reinventing, instead they turned it from a sales-driven company to a marketing-driven company.
1995 - Six years after becoming a corporation, Adidas went public with its new marketing slogan: “We knew then, we know now”.
1989-1994 - Whilst still trying to get back on its feet, Adidas turned to what it was originally known for, making products that made athletes better. Some of their most innovative products were made in this era.
In the coming years, Adidas kept going from strength to strength, with new partnerships, introducing a lifestyle segment focusing on sports-inspired streetwear and coming out with amazing marketing campaigns starring David Beckham and Haile Gebrselassie. Still to this day, Adidas remains amongst the best for its innovative designs and has made a solid place for itself across all platforms in terms of fashion.
So now you know a bit about the background behind the brand, we want to give you a quick run-down of the must-have items you need from Adidas.
1. Sweatshirts
Since they started making apparel, Adidas has made some of the most on-trend sports sweatshirts there are. Depending on your style you could go for a classic, vintage sweatshirt in some of the most amazing retro colours, or you can always keep it simple and get yourself a newer, big-logo sweatshirt, either could become an absolute staple in your wardrobe. As Adidas have collaborated and have partnerships with so many amazing designers/ names, once you start looking, there’s no end to the awesome sweatshirts you could get your hands on!
2. Track Pants
As Adidas are so innovative in their sportswear, and also with their passion for designing streetwear, their track pants are not only great for their appearance but also for their practicality! Here at Go Thrift, we do love a good pair of 90s side-popper track pants, they’re just a classic! However, if you want a more modern and understated look, you can never go wrong with a pair of their black, 3-stripes track pants.
3. Track Jackets
Similar to their track pants, Adidas are great at designing and making wearable and fashionable jackets! As the shell-type track jackets have been in fashion and worn by athletes since the 70s, you can pretty much bag yourself some of the coolest track jackets from any decade you want, it just depends on how retro you want your style to be! They are also always coming out with new sports-savvy designs for those of you who might want to wear your Adidas apparel for actually doing exercise and sports activities.
4. Shorts
As a sports brand, Adidas has finessed the designing of sports shorts that can be worn anywhere for anything. Even their classic little black short, again with the 3-stripes, is a timeless piece, amazing for summer and when going abroad to hotter countries. You can wear them as a part of everyday wear or for all your sporting needs, they’re such a great staple piece for anyone and everyone.
5. T-Shirts
It may seem like a boring part of your wardrobe to discuss, but we all need t-shirts. Whether it’s for your basics collection to chuck on with anything or to be the statement piece, there will be an Adidas t-shirt out there that belongs in your wardrobe. There’s such an array of designs when it comes to colour, style, logo, and decade; you can pretty much find an Adidas t-shirt that will fit your vibe, no matter what it is! If you want our suggestion though, you can’t go wrong with a big-logo t-shirt with the Trefoil Logo on.
