For a time, PUMA had the upper hand, but adidas seized the lead after the 1954 World Cup. A rain soaked pitch gave adidas's longer, replaceable spikes a significant edge over PUMA's shorter ones. The brothers' feud carried on through their sons, Horst (Adi's son) and Armin (Rudolf's son), and intensified when PUMA signed football legend Pelé, breaking an earlier agreement not to compete for the star.
By the late 80s, the sportswear landscape had changed drastically, with new competitors like Nike and Reebok taking control of the market. This intense competition forced both Horst and Armin to sell their companies. The Dassler brothers never reconciled in life, passing away four years apart in the mid 70s.
Now, almost a century later, a merger between the two companies could finally bring the Dassler brothers' fractured legacy full circle. This speculation has already seen PUMA shares rise by nearly 5% on the OTC exchange. This potential deal also comes at a time when interest in the rivalry is high, with Disney+ releasing “Sneaker Wars: adidas V. PUMA,” a new series that delves into the history of the famous family feud on 24th September.
According to a recent report by Handelsblatt , investor Roy Adams believes a merger would be the best way to address PUMA's current challenges. As Adams told Handelsblatt, “PUMA is in a state of emergency. If management fails to turn things around, a merger with adidas is the best option.”