Adidas Boxing Shoes
To most contemporary fighters, Adidas stands for dependable, top-quality boxing shoes, but to Adolf “Adi” Dassler, the founder of Adidas, the name means much more.
Adi Dassler's journey in the athletic shoe industry began in 1920 and tapped into his own experiences as an athlete, along with the knowledge he gained from other players, doctors, trainers and sport specialists. His attention to innovation and how an athlete actually performs pushed advancing technology beyond the more traditional approach to leather and laces.
Adidas’ big breakthrough originally came about when Dassler visited Jesse Owens at the Olympic Training Camp to convince him to wear his new running shoe. The personally handcrafted, leather track shoes Owens would ultimately wear, helped him win gold medals in four events in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and national prominence in the sporting world.
In 1949, Adidas further distinguished itself from all others in the industry when it’s three stripes were introduced into their shoe design. Their inclusion was actually created to aid in the support structure of the shoe but quickly became an identifying mark and distinguishing icon. This extra support actually lent itself even more to the movements required in a boxing ring.
Two years later, Adidas introduced its famous Trefoil Logo (with the three leaves that symbolize the Olympic spirit) and they also became the official supplier of the Munich Olympic Games, with one of the featured events, obviously, being boxing.
It would take several more decades before the Adidas line really took hold in the boxing world, but once they did, their rise through the ranks and into the ring was meteoric. The Adidas boxing shoe gained widespread notice in 1968 when a young boxer from Texas, named George Foreman, demolished his Soviet opponent and took to the podium to accept a gold medal for the United Sates. This exciting heavyweight packed a punch and looked, from head to toe, the part of a future champion.
Although many high profile athletes had been seen in Adidas shoes, perhaps one of the largest stages Adidas ever stood on was the Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 8, 1971. On that particular night Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier entered the ring for their much anticipated "Fight of the Century." The whole world was watchin
g that fight and both fighters were wearing Adidas shoes. Fans even got an extra good look at the three stripes when in the 15th round Joe Frazier landed his infamous left hook that deposited “The Greatest” on the seat of his pants and Ali’s, now signature, red and white Adidas shoes ended up above his head. From that point on, boxing was ready for the new player and would benefit from Adidas' progressive approach to high performance shoe technology.
Just as there was only one Adi Dassler, with a clear vision of revolutionizing the athletic footwear industry, there's only one Adidas, intent on making a name that stands for something. In boxing, it stands for unparalleled excellence and Adi Dassler would be proud to see that his vision making the rounds and leaving shoeprints in every boxing ring around the world.
Check out the Adidas products we offer, including footwear, by clicking here.