logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
10m 21s

Dassler brothers’ rift

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 1948, brothers Adi and Rudi Dassler who lived in a small German town fell out. They went on to create globally renowned sportswear firms Adidas and Puma.

Adi Dassler played a crucial role in West Germany's victory in the 1954 World Cup with his game-changing footwear.

Reena Stanton-Sharma hears from Adi Dassler’s daughter Sigi Dassler, who remembers her dad’s obsession with sports shoes and talks about her fondness for rappers Run-DMC who paid tribute to her dad’s shoes in their 1986 song My Adidas.

(Photo: Adi Dassler. Credit: Brauner/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
How BRICS got its name
In 2001, a few months after 9/11, economist Jim O’Neill was working at Goldman Sachs when he wrote a report about which countries might become big players in the world economy. That’s when he came up with the name BRIC - short for Brazil, Russia, India and China. At first, nothin ... Show More
9m 55s
Oct 9
Japan surrenders in Beijing
Eighty years ago, in the autumn of 1945, World War II surrender ceremonies took place across the Japanese Empire.The one in China was held at the Forbidden City in Beijing bringing an end to eight years of occupation. Thousands of people watched the incredible moment Japanese gen ... Show More
10m 12s
Oct 8
The remote island that was evacuated to 10,000km away
On 10 October 1961, a volcanic eruption threatened the population of Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, and all 264 islanders were evacuated to the UK. Two years later, the majority voted to return. In an interview she gave to the BBC in 1961, M ... Show More
10m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2016
SG #132: Adidas und Puma
Kennt Ihr eigentlich die Geschichte von Adidas und Puma? Heute sind das zwei der größten Sportartikelmarken der ganzen Welt. Aber alles fing ganz, ganz klein an. Und zwar 1924.Damals lebten die Brüder Adolf und Rudolf Dassler in Herzogenaurach, einer kleinen Stadt mit 20.000 Einw ... Show More
5m 48s
Mar 2018
Nike vs Adidas - The Starting Line | 2
Rudi and Adi Dassler started the “Dassler Business” in the 1920s in their parent’s garage, recycling materials from WWI military gear and uniforms. They got a pair of their track spikes on an athlete named Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics and the company took off… until WWII.The ... Show More
23m 20s
Nov 2019
Nike vs Adidas - La ligne de départ | 2
Dans l'Allemagne des années 1920, deux frères, Rudi et Adi Dassler, montent un petit atelier de fabrication de chaussures de sport dans le garage de leurs parents. Les matériaux sont rares à l'époque et ils débutent en recyclant d'anciens équipements militaires, des parachutes, c ... Show More
24m 3s
Nov 2018
Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry
Join Josh and Chuck today as they go down the sport shoe rabbit hole, detailing the strange tail of the brothers who brought Puma and Adidas to the world. Sibling rivalry, Nazis, shoes - there's a lot to unpack here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne ... Show More
41m 24s
Mar 2018
Nike vs Adidas - Rebound | 5
Nike, the late starter struck gold with its “Just Do It” campaign. Launched in 1988, the shoe giant finally had a tagline as good as its shoes. Meanwhile, Adidas, the brand that started and found success long before Nike was even a dream, finds itself as the underdog. The America ... Show More
24m 4s
Dec 2022
World Wars & World Cups
An accusation that has dogged the Qatar World Cup throughout the tournament is that of ‘sportswashing’. You’ve probably seen it in an article, or heard it in a news report. But what does ‘sportwashing’ actually mean, and where did it come from? While the term itself wasn't coined ... Show More
24m 7s
Feb 2024
Unheard: Memories of Munich
As we commemorate the 66th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster, we have delved into the archives to present a special episode of the Manchester United podcast. In 1998, 40 years after the tragedy, journalist and author Tom Tyrrell spent time with Jackie Blanchflower, Bill Foul ... Show More
46m 38s
Nov 2022
When Diana Ross missed a penalty at the World Cup
In 1994, the USA hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time. The choice of host nation was a controversial one because, at that time, the US didn't have an active professional football league. Alan Rothenberg was the man in charge of organising the competition. He decided to bo ... Show More
9m 3s