One of the things that has surprised me a little is the number of companies that we have in America that I never thought of for the country of origin. (This is not the "Made in China" that we often see, but rather where it all really began.) In the shoe world alone, there are some major players that were/are German. For example, Birkenstock shoes: originally German from the Hesse region, named after Johann Adam Birkenstock who in 1774 (yes that is 1774) was a shoemaker who then passed it down to his children and his grandchildren and finally it was passed down to his great-great-grandchild, Karl Birkenstock. In 1967, an German-American tourist to Germany brought the shoes back to the US to sell in her California shop after noticing a big difference in her foot pain, and history was made.
Two other notable companies concerning shoes are Puma, more known for their soccer shoes and high-end products, and Adidas. These two companies were actually one at one time and relate to the question of the day for yesterday about the Dassler brothers. Adolf and Rudolf Dassler were from the town of Herzogenaurach, and also shoe makers with a family history of making shoes. Adolf did not start as a shoe maker, rather as a baker, but after World War I, he decided to go into the family business and make shoes of his own. His other brothers were smithies who made the spikes for sport shoes. They all encouraged Adolf in his efforts. Rudolf, his other brother, also joined him in his efforts in making a profitable shoe company. By 1928, their soccer shoes and athletic shoes began to take off in thanks to the Olympics, which were in Amsterdam. Again, in 1936, when the Olympics came to Berlin, Jesse Owens was wearing a pair of their shoes cementing their name as a quality product when he won his medals.
But all was not happy between the Dassler brothers, and in 1949 after many misunderstandings related to their involvements in World War II and their own competitions with the business, the brothers split in a bitter rivalry. Rudolf, started his own company called originally Ruda (for Ru of Rudolf and Da for Dassler) and then changed it to Puma. Adolf, whose nickname was Adi, started his own company called, in the same fashion as Rudolf, Adidas for Adi and Das of Dassler. Here in Germany, it is not pronounced as we would in the states, rather it is pronounced AH dee dahs where the emphasis is on the Ah syllable instead of the dee syllable. Rudolf chose to keep his company as a small town company with high-end products. It was not until his son took over that the name truly grew in recognition. Adi, though, did not restrict his company. Over time, it has become the bigger name and acquired many popular brands in addition to its own popularity, such as Reebok and Rockport. Today, it represents the sportswear industry as the second largest producer in the world.
Although both companies are now tied to French ownership, they are both still headquartered in the small town just north of Nurenburg here in Bavaria. The townspeople, like the brothers, thrived with the business, but also were torn apart because of the business. When the brothers split, they had their new perspective businesses located on opposite sides of the river, and the townsfolk picked sides. It is said that even before you would begin a conversation, you would look to the shoes of the person you were about to talk with. The town had to have two soccer teams, each one sporting their own loyalty, and restaurants, businesses and bakeries each privately made known who they supported. Till the day they died, they remained enemies. Since their death, the rivalry of the townsfolk has begun to lessen. Older generations still seem to have a brand preference, but the youth tend to see the products for what they are - both good in their own way.
The question for today is "Why do Americans use the Fahrenheit scale and not the Germans?"
The word for today is Shoes - die Schuhe (shoo eh).
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
