In the heart of Herzogenaurach, Germany, Christoph Dassler was just a regular guy working in a shoe factory while his wife ran a small laundry. But their sons, Rudolf and Adolf "Adi" Dassler, had bigger plans. After World War I, they teamed up to create the "Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory" right in their mom's laundry room. Back then, electricity was a luxury, so they even powered their machines with a pedal bike when the lights went out. Hustle, right?
The Dasslers hit it big in 1936 when they laced up U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens with their custom spikes for the Berlin Olympics. Owens snagged four gold medals, and the Dassler Brothers were suddenly the go-to for sports shoes.
But family drama split the brothers in 1948—Adi created Adidas, and Rudolf started Puma. And boy, did the rivalry get real. Puma started making waves in football and track, with legends like Pelé tying his Puma Kings on live TV during the 1970 World Cup.
By 1986, Puma had gone public and never looked back. Today, they’re still a global powerhouse, proving that even small-town beginnings can lead to legendary heights.