Nowadays, the shoe game may have reached unprecedented heights. But modern sneaker heads might gasp at the realization that the options for dripped-out kicks were, at one point, severely limited. In the mid-twentieth century, between World Wars, even metal cleats on a futbol boot were an unfathomable innovation. That was until brothers Rudolf and Adi Dassler founded a company that, through a combination of athletic competitiveness, sibling rivalry and genuine paranoia, split into two titans of the sportswear industry: Puma and Adidas. And this schism was so deep and festering, that it would linger well after both men were dead and gone. poisoning the generation to come.

Be sure to watch Chris Silber's excellent series of films about the Dassler brothers: Rivals Forever.

And read Naomi Braithwaite's fascinating research into shoe design.

Hosted by Bridget Todd

Written by James Levine

Editing & Sound Design by Pete Musto

Produced by Benjamin Austin-Docampo

Created by Executive Producer Jeremiah Tittle

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