For almost a century, adidas and PUMA have stood as rivals, shaping global sport and culture through their competitive visions. Born from the same family and divided by a feud that split not only a company, but an entire town. The two brands were inseparable for a long time in the story of modern sportswear. Now, rumours are circulating that adidas may seek to acquire PUMA, a move that could finally reunite two sides of a legendary German shoe maker.
A Family Feud That Defined Modern Sport
The story begins in Herzogenaurach, a small Bavarian town in Germany where brothers Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf (Rudi) Dassler began crafting shoes in their mother’s washroom in Bavaria, in the early 1920s, later becoming Gebrüder Dassler, Sportschuhfabrik (The Dassler Brother’s Sports Shoe Factory). Their early designs would go on to be worn by Olympic champions, signaling the start of something extraordinary.
Yet by the mid 1940s, personal tensions tore the partnership apart. Adi founded adidas, while Rudolf established Ruda, later becoming PUMA, each on opposite sides of the Aurach, the town’s river. The feud ran deep. Families, workers and even local pubs took sides, giving Herzogenaurach the nickname “the town of bent necks” because people would look down to check which shoes a person was wearing before deciding whether to engage with them. That rivalry fueled innovation. adidas and PUMA raced to sign athletes, to push new designs, to outdo each other on and off the pitch. The competition shaped modern sportswear and grew both brands way beyond their hometown.
The Rumours of a Takeover
In 2025 whispers of adidas buying PUMA took the industry by storm. At the heart of the speculation lies Artemis, the Pinault family’s financial holding company, which owns almost a third of PUMA. Artemis has acknowledged interest from private equity and industry peers but insists it will not sell unless PUMA’s true value is recognised.
The intrigue deepens with the arrival of Arthur Hoeld as PUMA’s new chief executive. Hoeld is a former adidas executive. His appointment signals stability and a fresh direction for PUMA, but also fuels the rumour fire. Could his history with adidas be the bridge that connects both sides of the river?
What It Would Mean for the Industry
If adidas were to take over PUMA, it would create one of the most dominant forces in global sport and footwear. Between them, the brands have extraordinary reach. adidas with a mix of performance innovation and cultural relevance, PUMA with a bold celebrity partnership and reinventions of classics.
The potential merger raises important questions, can both brands survive under one roof or would one overshadow the other? adidas has always been the larger, more established name, but PUMA’s flair and partnerships have given it more and recognised partnerships. There could also be a matter of regulation: competition watchdogs across Europe, North America and Asia would need to examine the deal to ensure consumer choices and rights are not compromised.
A Cultural Homecoming
For decades, the adidas and PUMA split has been one of the most famous rivalries in business, fought out in the town. For Herzogenaurach itself a merger would be like an earthquake, the town once divided by loyalty to a single brand might unite by the success of both or further divide the town.
Still Just Whispers
For now nothing has been confirmed. adidas has made no public move, Artemis remains firm in its valuation of PUMA, and PUMA itself is focused on redefining its direction under new leadership. The rumours may never come true, but they have reignited interest in a rivalry. What happens next is to be seen…
