adidas Turns 65: How Adi Dassler Settled on the Iconic 3-Stripes

On this day in 1949, Adi Dassler officially registered global sportswear brand adidas.

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words // Brandon Richard

On this day in 1949, Adi Dassler officially registered global sportswear brand adidas. Though believed by some to be an acronym for All Day I Dream About Sports, the name is actually a portmanteau formed from ‘Adi’ (a nickname for Adolf) and ‘Das’ (from Dassler).

We know how the company got its name, but how did the trademark 3-Stripe design come about? Celebrating its 65th birthday, adidas has launched an archive story, taking us for a stroll down memory lane. The archive explains why the company was originally named ‘addas’ and details Dassler’s process for settling on the 3-Stripes motif.

Check out the caps below and visit adidas-archive.org for more stories.

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