adidas vs. Nike: 3 Moments in History That Changed the Sneaker Game

Nike and adidas have been in fierce competition for nearly 60 years. Since 1964, when the Swoosh first entered the sneaker scene, there has been a great divide between sneakerheads as to whether your heart lies with Nike or adidas. And, the Three Stripes could’ve been in a very different place right now, if it weren’t for three pivotal moments in the brand’s history; each one of course, with Nike right at the centre.

In 1977, adidas were pitched the Air unit, but turned it down, and in swooped Nike. In 1984, upcoming superstar Michael Jordan was about to begin his rookie NBA season, and therefore was open to signing a sneaker contract. adidas had the greatest chance of any brand to sign the future Hall Of Famer as he was already a big fan of the German sneaker giant. With that said, they neglected to put in an offer, so in came Nike. And finally, when Kobe Bryant was drafted to the NBA straight from High School, adidas took a leap of faith and signed him up. They were partners for the first six years of his 20-year career, but before his contracted ended, he switched to the Swoosh.

The rivalry was instant. Nike founder Phil Knight admitted that he had grown to despise adidas. He didn’t like the monopoly they had created, and couldn’t live the rest of his life chasing them. Although he wouldn’t create a Nike sneaker until the release of the Nike Cortez in 1972, he wanted to take down adidas - and fast. In 1964, he founded Blue Ribbon Sports, a name he created spur of the moment in a business meeting referencing the blue ribbons track athletes receive for first place; and he used the business to undercut adidas by importing Onitsuka Tigers into the US market saying, “If Onitsuka can penetrate that market, if Onitsuka can get its Tigers into American stores, and price them to undercut Adidas, which most American athletes now wear, it could be a hugely profitable venture.” Onitsuka’s owners were on board, and Knight’s mission to overtake adidas had begun.

In 1977, Marion Franklin Rudy, an ex-NASA Aerospace Engineer, and his business partner Bob Bogert, lined up a meeting with Nike founder Phil Knight. Knight had no idea what was being pitched or how integral this would be to the success of Nike, almost instantly turning it into a global phenomenon.

“What have you got?”; Phil kicked off the meeting in a casual manner, and Rudy stated simply “We’ve come up with a way to inject… air… into a running shoe.” “For greater cushioning, for greater support. For the ride of a lifetime.” Knight, initially sceptical, assumed they were joking. He took a look at the prototype from Franklin and had to let it all sink in for a second. It all sounded too futuristic for Knight to really believe that it could be something that Nike might incorporate into their running shoes. And, still trying to keep their heads above water, they had to be cautious with each business decision.

Then, either conceding defeat, or in a last-ditch effort to hook Knight, Rudy casually dropped in that he had already pitched the futuristic concept to adidas, and that they weren’t on-board with the idea either.

That was all it took. Knight was in.

He couldn’t test them out fast enough - squeezing them into the shoes he was wearing, Knight immediately went for a six-mile run, and came back with a firm "Yes". They agreed Rudy would receive around 15 cents per pair of every sole sold. Needless to say, Rudy did pretty well from the deal too.

Michael Jordan; 1984 NBA Rooke of the Year, six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Finals MVP and billionaire, could’ve been signed by adidas.

Although he didn’t make his high school basketball team in his sophomore year, he worked hard (grew a few inches) and made it to college where he would play shooting guard for the North Carolina Tar Heels under famed college coach Dean Smith. Nike Marketing Exec Sonny Vaccaro had been keeping a keen eye on "Mike Jordan" (as he was known back then) as he rose through the ranks. And, it was Sonny who suggested to Knight, when discussing players to sign, that they “Give it to Jordan.” Everything. Vaccaro wanted Knight to go all-in. Knight trusted Vaccaro, and so, pitched MJ a five-year deal consisting of $500,000/year, 5% royalties, and his own line of sneakers.

Converse said they couldn’t sign him as they already had future Hall of Famers Larry Bird, DR J and Isiah Thomas; no room for Jordan. Spot-Bilt (who would later become Saucony) matched Nike’s offer, with the help of some encouragement from ex-NFL star and spokesman OJ Simpson, but they couldn’t match the marketing spend of Nike. adidas said they just couldn’t make a shoe work for Jordan at the time, and as they were so large in Europe, it didn’t make sense for them at the time to concentrate too much on the US market. adidas didn’t even make him an offer.

Jordan even gave adidas a second chance. After Nike had put their offer on the table, Jordan, so desperate to sign with adidas, returned to see if they could match it. He loved adidas so much he wore them in college practice… even though the team were sponsored by Converse. Initially, Jordan wasn’t even going to entertain Nike’s interest by agreeing to a meeting; that is, until his mother Deloris famously insisted that he take the meeting, and once the offer was in, his father told him he would be a fool not to sign on the dotted line.

Although adidas has had its fair share of success with models like the Superstar and the Stan Smith, neither had the immediate success of Nike Air Jordans. After signing MJ, Nike projected sales of $3 million in the first four years. In the first year alone, they raked in an astounding $126 million. They couldn’t manufacture them quickly enough to meet demand. And they would go on to become the multi-billion-dollar company we know today. With the Air Jordan 36 releasing in 2021, they’re still going strong, even though Jordan himself retired in 2003.

adidas had a good run with NBA ‘Hall of Famer’ Kobe Bryant; six years and five sneakers. However, it should’ve lasted a little longer had Bryant not bought out the end of the $10 million promotional contract he had signed with the sneaker giant. The problem was the last two signature sneakers. Although the first three models; the adidas EQT Elevation in 1997, and the KB8 and KB8 II in 1998 were all a great success for the brand, things took a turn with adidas’ ‘The Kobe’ in 2000. The fans were split on this one. Revolutionary in its design, it wasn’t your conventional looking basketball sneaker. However, it was the sneaker Kobe would secure his first NBA championship in. So, that helped.

adidas followed it up with ‘The Kobe Two’ in 2001 and here’s where things took a turn. They had gone from ‘The Kobe’ which was designed after the Audi TT sports car, to ‘The Kobe Two’ which to many looked like an aerodynamic brick made out of playdough. And, Kobe didn’t like it either; even switching back to the original Kobe for the finals series.

Bryant switched to sign with Nike in 2003, and would wear 11 models throughout the rest of his illustrious career. Legal issues restricted him from having his own signature sneaker for the first three years, after which he would release the Nike Zoom Kobe 1 in 2006, to great fanfare. This success, along with the success of Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers, continued for the rest of his sneaker line with Nike, and he would eventually part ways with the NBA in 2016 as a five-time NBA championship player, two-time NBA finals MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star and, in 2020, NBA Hall of Fame inductee. Sorry adidas.

There you have it, three strikes for adidas. Of course, there are plenty of success stories as well when it comes to The Brand with the Three Stripes, but as for their competition with Nike over the years, some moments stand out more than others. The future is still bright for Adidas, giving Nike a real run for their money since they released Boost technology in 2013, and then signing NBA superstar James Harden to a 13-year, $200 million contract in 2015. Funnily enough, they were able to steal Harden from Nike after Nike couldn’t match the offer from adidas. How the tables have turned.