Only a few years ago, Nike was the clear winner of the global sneaker dominance. Not only were they a bigger brand than Adidas, but they were just cooler. Adidas shoes lacked a fair amount of style and weren’t more advantageous than Nike with the athletic collection. However, in 2017, the wheels are definitely turning. Not only does Adidas have a massive collaboration with Kanye West but their new running sneakers “UltraBoost” are wearable both for the gym and in the streets. Apparently many Nike Air devoted customers have switched to Adidas for their more comfortable soles. On top of that, more and more fashion icons and bloggers started wearing the classics such as Stan Smiths and Superstars which helped the brand become “THE” cool street style brand.
The huge rise of Adidas is not only proven in the streets but also by numbers and statistics. In 2016 the brand upped their sneakers sales by 80% while its stock price has jumped to 67%. In the meantime, Nikes stock has dropped by 3%. Despite Nike is still a much bigger brand, making about 30 billion dollars of global revenue in 2015 compared to Adidas who made 19 billion. However, Adidas has given Nike a few reasons to sweat over the past few years. They are catching up fast to try and steal the crown from the worldwide sneakers brand leader.
Everyone is wondering how did Adidas become such a popular brand so fast? In an interview with Arthur Hoeld, the vice-president of Adidas he explains how they did it.
Hoeld stated that in 2014 the brand was under a new direction and they decided to try a new operating model which they called “Brand Leadership”. It was totally focused on the consumer. They also appointed different roles for people to manage and focus on a certain sport and style. This changed their football and original collections drastically. After that, the shoes started selling well and the success just kept on flowing.
I personally am and will always be a fan of Nike. However, I own 2 pairs of Stan Smiths and 2 pairs of Superstars which I wear almost every day. I just feel very stylish with ripped jeans or even a tight dress. These shoes can suit any outfit and that is why everyone loves them.
