What Is the Adidas Logo?
The Adidas logo is a set of three stripes, drawn either as three slanted bars or running through the leaves of the trefoil, shown with the name adidas in lowercase letters. The logo belongs to Adidas AG, the sportswear company Adi Dassler registered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on 18 August 1949.
Adidas gives its marks separate jobs. The trefoil sits on the Adidas Originals heritage line, the three bars on their own mark performance kit, and the three bars with the name, known as the Badge of Sport, cover Adidas Sportswear. The logo is available as the Adidas logo SVG.
Adidas Logo Facts
| Designer | Peter Moore (the three bars) |
| Introduced | 1972 (trefoil), 1990 (three bars) |
| Symbol | Three stripes |
| Logo type | Combination mark: wordmark and symbol |
| Earlier mark | Three stripes on Adidas shoes, first developed in 1948 |
| Owner | Adidas AG |
What the Adidas Logo Means
The three stripes began as a practical detail. Adi Dassler experimented with straps on the sides of his shoes, and in 1948 he developed a football shoe with three parallel straps. According to Sneaker Freaker, Dassler said the stripes carried no symbolism: three simply looked best.
The trefoil was inspired by floral emblems, with the stripes cut through its three leaves so that it would read as the brand with three stripes. The three bars set the same stripes side by side at an angle, with no leaf around them.
The name is a contraction of Adi Dassler. He first wanted to call the company addas, but a children's shoe company already used that name, so he added an "i" by hand on the registration form.
Adidas Logo History
Adi Dassler and his brother Rudolf ran a sports shoe factory together in Herzogenaurach, entered in the commercial register on 1 July 1924. In 1948 the brothers split. Rudolf founded Puma, and Adi kept the factory and registered his own company in August 1949.
For more than twenty years the stripes on the shoes did the work of a logo. In 1972, as Adidas moved into clothing and accessories, it introduced the trefoil, which first appeared on footwear in 1976.
In 1989 Adidas hired Peter Moore and Rob Strasser, both formerly of Nike. Moore designed a new mark for the Adidas Equipment line, launched in 1990, turning the stripes into three slanted bars. In 1996 the bars were combined with the adidas wordmark and named the Badge of Sport. In 2000 Adidas revived the trefoil for its Originals line.
Brothers and Rivals
The split of 1948 turned two brothers into rivals in the same small town, and they never spoke to each other again. Rudolf's company chose a leaping cat, while Adi's built its identity on stripes (compare the Puma logo).
Peter Moore links Adidas to its American rival as well. Before he drew the three bars, he designed the first Air Jordan shoe and its Wings logo for Nike (see the Nike logo and the Jordan logo).
For more brands like Adidas, browse our sports logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adidas have three stripes?
Adi Dassler developed a football shoe with three parallel straps in 1948, and those stripes became the company's trademark.
What is the Adidas flower logo called?
The trefoil. It was introduced in 1972 and has marked the Adidas Originals line since 2000.
Who designed the Adidas three bars logo?
Peter Moore, a former Nike designer, created it for the Adidas Equipment line that launched in 1990.
Where does the name Adidas come from?
From Adi Dassler. He planned to call the company addas, then added an "i" because a children's shoe company already used that name.