Athletes and advertising seems so synonymous these days that it can be hard to imagine a time when the two didn't go hand in hand. But everything has to start somewhere. And in this case it all started with a small German shoe company that grew into the global corporate megaliths Adidas and Puma. The inner-family grudge that divided the original company in two may have started with brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler, but it came to its existential conclusion with their sons: Horst and Armin.

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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