The adidas-Puma feud is a deep rooted rivalry that traces back to German brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler. The two started working together with the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, but a dispute in the late 1940s saw the brothers go their separate ways. Adolf founded adidas, while Rudolf founded Puma, and the rest is, as they say, history.
In recent years, the beef has simmered, with both parties taking place in a friendly game of soccer in 2009. Last year, we reported that while German residents still harbor strong feelings towards the brands, they're beginning to ease up as their children's soccer teams play together. Now, a news bit coming out of Puma's annual general meeting makes us wonder if the feud is really squashed.
According to Ellen Emmerentze of the Wall Street Journal, a Puma shareholder had some strong words for the Three Stripes. "Puma's marketing is good. It's clear. Not as confusing as Adidas's. Plus, Adidas's shoes look like Rice Krispies," said the unnamed shareholder. We won't get into the marketing semantics, but the "Rice Krispies" comment definitely sounds like a shot at adidas' proprietary Boost cushioning. Did this comment just add new fuel to the fire?
[via @ellenemmerentze]
