Creators of Puma

Pumas have come a long way since the 1920's when they were created.  Two brothers, Rudolf and Adolf Dassler set up their own company in 1924 and called it Puma Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler.  It has now become one of the world's leading manufacturers of athletic shoes, sportswear, and accessories

Adolf and Rudolf Dassler were born into a poor family ain the late 1800s. Their father, Christoph Dassler, was a worker at a shoe factory, while their mother, Pauline Dassler, ran a small laundry business. At age 15 Rudolf started working at the same shoe factory as his father. 
In the early 1920s Rudolf Dassler decided to open up a company with his brother Adolf as a business partnership. Their company produced mainly slippers and outdoor shoes at that time. Rudolf Dassler ran the business, while Adolf took care of the technical operations and production. They soon realized that there wasn't a good market for their shoes and so they switched their focus to the manufacture of track shoes and football boots.

In the late 1920s, the Dassler company took off and gained a good reputation among athletes and sporting goods companies due to their newest client, a sports club in Herzogenaurach, which was a major company in athletic shoes. Half of all athletes at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928 wore Dassler shoes. In 1936, African-American track star Jesse Owens brought the company into the public eye when he won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin wearing Dassler shoes.


Puma  is among the world's leading manufacturers of athletic shoes, sportswear, and accessories. The company is best known for its soccer shoes and has sponsored international soccer stars like Diego Armando Maradonna and Lothar Matthäus. The company also offers shoes and sports clothing. Since 1996 Puma has greatly increased its activities in the United States. They now own 25 percent of American brand sports clothing maker Logo Athletic, which is licensed by American professional basketball and football leagues.