Adidas

Adidas is a shoe and apparel company known internationally for its quality and style. This major German-based company began with humble beginnings. In 1924, Adolf “Adi” Dassler and his brother Rudolph “Rudi” manufactured shoes in their mother’s laundry and sold them for profit, calling the company Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.

During the 1936 Summer Olympics, Adi drove to Bavaria to convince Jesse Owens, an African-American sprinter to use the spiked shoes they created. Owens agreed, wore the shoes, and proceeded to win 4 gold medals. From then on, the company became known for its quality. Business boomed as international clients ordered shoes for their runners as well.

However, a huge rift between the brothers happened during the war. They split to form Ruda (from Ruda Dassler, now called Puma) and adidas AG (from Adi Dassler).

It was not until the 1990s that Adidas entered the cricket scene. They sponsored the famous Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and made shoes for him. Then, in 2008, the company signed English batting star Kevin Pietersen. Soon, the company also sponsored uniforms for several cricket teams. They also created cricket bats, making personalized bats for their two star athletes, the Adidas ST and the Adidas KP, named with their initials.