Almost everyone owns at least one Adidas apparel. The world is well-saturated with Adidas stores and you can see the name everywhere. Whether you’re a fan or a casual buyer, you can be curious about where your favorite Adidas shoes are made.
Being the second biggest sportswear brand in the world, Adidas has production and manufacturing facilities scattered around the globe. They have factories in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Though a European brand, more than 50% of its facilities are in Asia.
Different Adidas items from different stores can have different tags that say different places about where it’s made. This is only natural for a brand as big as Adidas. It engages in contracts in many different facilities all around the world and this list can change and vary yearly.
Below, we’ll look into where Adidas athletic footwear shoes and other apparel are made – continent and country-wise. And to make it fun for Adidas fans, we’ll also touch on a brief history of the brand.
Know Your History: Origins of the Adidas Brand
Before we get into where exactly Adidas shoes are made, let’s get to know the history of one of the world’s most famous shoe and apparel brands – Adidas.
The world-renowned brand had its humble beginnings in 1924 when it was founded by German cobbler Adolf Dassler.
Believe it or not, this world-famous brand started in Dassler’s mother’s laundry room, where he started creating footwear. This eventually became the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, run by Adolf and his brother Rudolf.
The brand got its first big recognition in 1936 when Jesse Owens ran in a pair of their shoes in the Summer Olympics of that year. Its’ popularity grew and many people since then can be seen sporting the brand.
Due to differences, the brothers separated ways in 1947. Then, in 1949, Adolf formally founded Adidas, known as today’s popular sports brand. The brand name of “Adidas” came from its founder’s name – “Adi” from his first name and “Das” from his last name.
His brother went on to establish another world-famous sports and apparel brand – Puma. Since then, the two brothers became business competitors.
Anyone will recognize the name “Adidas” from a while away and it comes only second as the most famous sports brand in the world, just after Nike.
Where Your Shoes are Made: Why You Should Care
Adidas is a world-famous brand and it’s only natural that many are curious about where their world-famous products are made. Whether these are shoes, shirts, bags, and other sports apparel, it’s natural to be curious and ask important questions.
Of course, it’s not mandatory for Adidas fans or users to know where the brand makes and manufactures its items. However, it is a good idea to have some knowledge of these things to ensure you’re buying from a brand that engages only in ethical practices.
For many consumers, it’s a priority to know if a brand is in violation of human or labor rights. Many consumers also put huge importance on sustainability practices. People don’t want to patronize a brand that has a record of violating the basic rights of its workers or those whose practices impact the environment negatively.
Luckily for Adidas fans, the brand is very transparent when it comes to these things.
Adidas is a member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and assesses third-party suppliers and manufacturers before entering into business with them. The brand also openly recognizes its corporate responsibility in upholding human and labor rights.
Adidas is one of the very few companies in the industry that value transparency and disclose their full global supplier list.
Knowing all this information, let’s now answer the main question of this article – where are Adidas shoes made?
Where are Adidas Shoes Made?
Adidas is a world-famous brand and one can easily spot and buy any Adidas apparel from most places in the world. Countless shoes, bags, shirts, and sports apparel are being sold right this very minute.
For this reason alone, it would be impossible to expect such a big brand like Adidas to utilize only one country for all their textile and accessories production.
According to the brand’s 2023 Global Factory List, it operates and manufactures in more than 40 countries and close to 55 countries. Around 500 of these factories are spread across the world.
Among these are Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Adidas also has factories in the Western and European countries of Canada, the USA, the UK, and Italy.
Below, we’ll dive deep into the places with the most number of Adidas factories.
- Adidas manufactures in Asia
Adidas makes, manufactures, and produces a huge chunk of its shoes and apparel in many Asian countries – more than 50%, in fact!
China takes the number one spot with more than 100 factories and close to a number of 120 factories that manufacture most Adidas shoes in the world. Vietnam closely follows the list with close to 70 factories. Indonesia houses about 45 factories while India is next on the list with around 30 of them.
Other Asian countries that house Adidas production facilities include South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Turkey, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
- Adidas manufactures in the Americas
Adidas has close to 100 Adidas factories in the Americas, spread across North and South America.
The US has more than 25 Adidas factories. Canada comes second with about as few as six factories. Mexico has about only one to two factories in total that make the brand’s famous sports shoes.
In South America, Brazil has more than 25 factories. Both Colombia and Chile have about two to three each.
Other countries in the Americas that house such factories include El Salvador, Argentina, Honduras, and Nicaragua to name a few more.
- Adidas manufactures in Europe
Adidas was first founded in Europe, so it’s only natural that it also houses some of its factories, even though they are considerably small in number.
Europe has close to 60 factories in total. Italy currently has about eight, the UK with about seven factories, and Germany houses about five.
Belgium, Hungary, and the Czech Republic each have one factory in their territories.
- Adidas manufactures in Africa
The continent of Africa has about seven factories in total for manufacturing and producing Adidas goods and apparel. The African countries that house these include South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Tunisia.
Why Does Adidas Footwear Production Mostly Happen in Asia and Not in Germany or in the USA?
As we’ve established above, there are more Adidas factories situated in Asia than in any other continent. But why in Asia and not in Germany where the brand is from or even in the US?
Adidas is a business in the footwear industry above all. And like most businesses, they work to generate revenue. One way to do this is outsourcing goods production somewhere production costs are relatively cheap but they can be sure of the quality and craftsmanship.
Asia, where most of the factories are located, offers plenty and cheap labor. Many manufacturing facilities in the Asia region have advanced technologies, meaning they can keep up with the brand’s demands for high-quality products.
This is mainly the reason why most of the brand’s facilities are in Asia.
Is there a Correlation Between Manufacturing Location and Quality?
No matter where they are made in the world, Adidas assures its fans and consumers that all its products are created with high, top-notch quality by all manufacturing plants.
In fact, the brand is very transparent in having dedicated teams assigned to check its products on all levels of the supply chain. These teams test and closely monitor all Adidas products to ensure that no defective products ever hit the shelf.
So, rest assured you’re only getting the best quality Adidas products no matter what the tag says or where it’s made.
Conclusion
Adidas is a brand known around the world, no matter which country you live in. Everyone has practically owned a thing or two from the brand so it’s only natural to be curious about where Adidas shoes, one of their famous products, are made.
Adidas shoes are made all around the world. The Adidas group has manufacturing and production facilities all around Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa. You can find more than half of its facilities in the Asian region.
And that has been our answer to the question, “where are Adidas shoes made?”. Reach out to us below if you have more questions!
