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Battle between Adidas, Puma comes alive in book
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-08 09:24

FAMILY RIFT

Both Adidas and Puma have recovered from their brushes with disaster as publicly owned companies in the vibrant $17-billion worldwide sports shoe industry, but only after long and messy separations from their family owners.

adidas"I was fascinated by the mixture of this incredible family rift, the business feud and the sporting triumphs, which forged two mighty brands recognised all over the world," Smit told Reuters of her book which also draws on U.S. intelligence documents and more than 200 interviews around the world.

The two firms are based in Herzogenaurach, a town of 23,200 that lies 20 km outside Nuremberg, even though most production was long ago moved to low-cost countries. Hand-made shoes for some big names, such as David Beckham, are still produced in Germany.

Mark Spitz was en route to winning seven gold medals in 1972 when he was approached by Horst Dassler, the son of Adidas founder Adi Dassler, in Munich's Olympic village. Dassler asked the American swimmer to wear Adidas at the medal ceremonies.

"The problem was only that they would probably be covered by the loose-fitting warm-up pants that swimmers wear," Smit wrote.

"Dassler told Spitz he should carry the shoes in his hands instead. Spitz got carried away by Dassler's enthusiasm and held up a pair of Adidas 'Gazelles' as he waved to the crowd." She said Spitz had some explaining to do to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after that.

Another notable moment in the Adidas v Puma battle came at the 1960 Olympics. Smit said it was the first time a prominent Olympian got money for wearing shoes.

"Rudolf Dassler opened this Pandora's box in 1960 by paying German sprinter Armin Hary money to wear Pumas in the 100 metres final," Smit says. Hary had worn Adidas before and asked Adi for payment, but Adidas rejected this.

Hary won gold in Pumas, but then laced up Adidas for the medals ceremony -- to the shock of both Adi and Rudolf.

"With a keen business acumen, Hary hoped to cash in from both with the trick," she writes. "But Adi was so outraged he banned the Olympic champion."
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