Introduction:

Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler was born on March 26, 1989, and Adolf "Adi" Dassler was born on November 3, 1900, into an impoverished family in Herzogenaurach, German Empire.

The family has a total of six members. His father, Christoph Dassler, worked as a shoemaker in a tiny factory, while his mother, Pauline Dassler, ran a washing service out of a small room for additional cash, and their daughter's name is Marie Dassler.

To augment their income, they also sold handcrafted slippers.

Rudolf and Adolf joined his father's shoemaking business after finishing their studies.

The Beginning: 

Both brothers were young when World War I broke out. And, by order of Germany's Prime Minister, the country's youth were required to join the army. 

Adolf and Rudolf had been summoned for the purpose. Both brothers returned home safely when World War I ended (28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918). The aftermath of World War I had an economic impact and made life difficult for cobblers. They planned to expand their father's business after that.

How it Started:

The brothers had an extensive interest in playing sports from the very beginning but were often left unsatisfied by the comfort level that the shoes provided. At that time, people used the same type of shoes for every occasion which led to several activities being highly uncomfortable.

They wondered how people would play with such a shoe.

The elder brother of Rudolf Dassler "Rudi," Adolf Dassler "Adi," began creating sports shoes for others. He had a strong goal from the start that "one day his shoes will be the most comfortable shoes for every category, such as sports shoes, casual shoes, and so on."

Adolf "Adi" had to deal with a variety of issues in the beginning, including issues with the working environment and energy. But he wasn't the type to pull over for little issues. He got up and came closer to his objective.

You'll be surprised to learn that Adolf Dassler couldn't afford a suitable working space in the early 1900s, so he converted the back of his mother's laundry into a modest shoe factory.

Not only that, but there was a significant problem with electricity at the time; the supply was very poor and unpredictable, and the electricity would sometimes go out, so he would often power his machines by connecting them to a stationary bike.

Adolf used the stationary bike to produce electricity. 

What a brilliant individual!

He didn't just produce sports shoes; he was always experimenting with them. Adding metal spikes to the shoes was one of the experiments. Rudolf 'Rudi', his older brother, joined the company in July 1924. Rudolf Dassler was two years older than Adolf Dassler and had obtained valuable job experience in a porcelain factory and a leather business in Nuremberg, Germany. Customers gradually became aware of their products, and they began to prefer to wear them.

After some time had passed, Adolf and Rudolf established the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory (Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik).

The Turning Point: 

This is where their true narrative begins; I call it the genuine part of the story since the company's real success came exactly 12 years after it was founded, at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The 1936 German Olympics had a significant impact on world sports history, as well as on Adolf and Rudolf's personal lives. Adolf proposed to Sprinter Jesse Owens (the best runner of the time) a few days before the start of the Olympic Games that he participate in running while wearing their factory-made sports shoes, and Ram happily accepted. 

Sprinter Jesse Owens became the first brand ambassador for Dassler Brother Shoe in this manner, and this opportunity was no less than the company's biggest success.

Jessey Owens won a total of four gold medals in that Olympics. With his amazing success, the Dassler Brothers shoes were introduced to notable players all over the world.

As a result, team coaches all around the world started ordering Dassler Brothers shoes for their athletes. The name of the Dassler Brothers shoe quickly became well-known.

The company's business accelerated, and they sold roughly 200,000 pairs of shoes per year worldwide before World War II.

The Brothers Became Their Worst Enemies: 

In 1943, the growing breach between the two brothers was bridged during World War I.

Misunderstandings were rapidly growing and acting as a barrier in their relationship.

After losing the war to the Americans, Hitler committed himself, and American troops apprehended Hitler's adherents.

This move drew the attention of Eddie and Rudy. Eddie managed to escape by demonstrating that he assisted Olympic athlete Jesse Owens, but Rudolf was imprisoned for a year.

Rudolf learned while in custody that someone close to him had provided information to the US military regarding his political affiliation.

His suspicions were directed at his brother 'Adolf,' which resulted in a major feud between the two of them, and when he returned home after his release, a family feud ensued. They split their company in 1948 as a result of their conflict. Adidas and Ruda were formed from the Dassler shoe firm. Adolf Dassler founded Adidas, a sportswear firm. The term "adi" originates from Adolf's first two letters, and the word "das" comes from Dassler's first three letters.

Rudolf Dassler, his older brother, founded the Ruda sports firm. Like his brother, he adopted the name Ruda by combining two letters from his personal name and two letters from his surname. Rudolf altered the name of his company from Ruda to Puma a few days later, because Ruda didn't sound like a sporty name.

Both brothers were so preoccupied with competing against each other that they failed to see any third party as a competition.

One of the amusing facts is that the feud between the two brothers involved their families as well as the residents of Herzogenaurach because their company's location was 500 meters away and a major portion of the city's population worked for them.

As a result, there were frequent conflicts between the two companies' personnel.

Even when folks in Herzogenaurach were conversing, the first thing they noticed was whether they were wearing Adidas or Puma shoes. As a result, Herzogenaurach earned the nickname "neck-bending city."

They both had business ideas from the start, so they expanded their company and began selling clothing, watches, bags, sports equipment, and shoes. Rudolf Dassler died on October 27, 1974, and Adolf Dassler died on December 6, 1978, four years after the tragedy.

Although there were some issues in the company after they died, their successors defeated them and, forgetting their animosity, rebuilt their old ties.

Adidas and Puma have grown to become the world's two largest sportswear firms. Their items have now gained a worldwide following. Players in practically every sport now use their products, as can be shown.