- [Narrator] Adidas and Puma are two
of the biggest rivals in shoes.
But did you know that their founders were two halves
of a once happy. - Hi there.
- Family business. - Hello.
- [Narrator] That turned into a level of brother rage
so intense (clicking)
it will get the sneaker heads' tongues awaggin'?
See what I did there?
In the 1930’s, the Dassler brothers' sport shoe company
in Bavaria made the most kick-ass athletic shoes
in all the land.
The company even gave Jesse Owens a pair of shoes
to compete in the 36th Olympics.
(whistling) When Jesse won,
(cheering) the brothers' shoes blew up.
But all of that success was not good for their relationship.
Tensions flared. (grunting)
Some say there was stealing, affairs, resentment
and after World War II the brothers were so out of step
they eventually (hinge squeaks)
ended the company.
In 1949, Adolf, or Adi Dassler,
formed Adidas a play on his nickname.
Rudolf Dassler started Puma (puma roars)
because, well, that name is awesome.
(puma scowls) The brothers sued each other
many, many times over the years
(papers crinkling)
over all sorts of design and trademark issues
costing each other a fortune in lawyers and suits.
Their two factories built in the same Bavarian village
of Herzogenaurach (speaks in foreign language)
polarized the community with local people
picking sides by picking shoes.
The brothers died two years apart.
They were buried at opposite ends of the village graveyard.
Proof that even in death (thunder claps)
there remained a great bitter divide between them.
And so it was for decades until 2009.
Employees of Adidas and Puma in the village
where the two companies still
(cheering) have their headquarters
came together and played a friendly soccer match.
And started the process of healing decades of enmity.
And began a new era of love and shoes.
(quirky upbeat music)
(tonal ringing)