Puma (brand) facts for kids
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World headquarters in Herzogenaurach
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| Societas Europaea | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry |
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| Predecessor | Split from Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Rudolf Dassler |
| Headquarters | Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Revenue |  €8.465 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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€640 million (2022) |
| €353 million (2022) |
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| Total assets | €6.772 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €2.538 billion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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18,071 (2022) |
| Subsidiaries |
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Puma SE is a famous German company that designs and makes athletic and casual shoes, clothes, and accessories. Its main office is in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. Puma is one of the biggest sportswear makers in the world.
The company was started in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler. Before that, in 1924, Rudolf and his brother Adolf "Adi" Dassler had a shoe factory together called Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. However, the brothers had disagreements and decided to split up in 1948. This led to the creation of two separate companies: Adidas and Puma. Rudolf first named his new company Ruda, but he later changed it to Puma. Puma's first logo, registered in 1948, showed a wild cat jumping through a letter 'D'. Today, Puma's shoes and clothes feature the well-known Puma logo and the special "Formstrip" design, which first appeared in 1958.
Contents
Puma's Story: From Small Beginnings to Global Brand
The Dassler Brothers' Early Days
The story of Puma began with Christoph Dassler, who worked in a shoe factory, and his wife Pauline, who ran a small laundry. Their son, Rudolf Dassler, joined his father at the shoe factory after school. After fighting in World War I, Rudolf learned about sales at a porcelain factory and later in a leather business.
In July 1924, Rudolf and his younger brother, Adolf, also known as "Adi", started their own shoe factory. They called it "Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik" (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory). At that time, it was the only business making sports shoes. They started their work in their mother's laundry room. Sometimes, they even had to use a stationary bicycle to power their machines because electricity was not always available. In 1927, they moved into their own building.
The brothers became well-known when they drove to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. They brought a suitcase full of special shoes and convinced American sprinter Jesse Owens to wear them. This was the first time an African American athlete was sponsored. Owens won four gold medals, and their business grew quickly. Before World War II, the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes every year.
During the war, the brothers' relationship became difficult. A big disagreement happened during an air raid in 1943. Rudolf believed his brother had reported him to American soldiers later on, which made their relationship even worse.
The Big Split and Puma's Birth
Because of their growing disagreements, the brothers decided to split their business in 1948. Rudolf moved to the other side of the Aurach River to start his own company. Adolf started his company, Adidas, using parts of his nickname "Adi" and his last name "Das". Rudolf created his new company, first calling it "Ruda" (from Rudolf Dassler). A few months later, he changed the name to Puma Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler.
After the split, Puma and Adidas became strong rivals. The town of Herzogenaurach was divided, with people often looking down to see which brand of shoes others were wearing.
In the first football match after World War II in 1948, several players from the West Germany national football team wore Puma boots. Rudolf also created a football boot with screw-in studs, called the "Super Atom", working with experts like West Germany's national coach Sepp Herberger.
Puma at the Olympics
At the 1952 Summer Olympics, Josy Barthel from Luxembourg won Puma's first Olympic gold medal in Helsinki, Finland, in the 1500 metres race.
At the 1960 Summer Olympics, Puma paid German sprinter Armin Hary to wear Puma shoes in the 100-metre sprint final. Hary won a gold medal in Pumas, but surprisingly wore Adidas shoes during the medal ceremony. This angered both Dassler brothers.
During the 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute, Puma-sponsored American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals in the 200 meters. On the podium, they held their Puma Suede shoes and raised their black-gloved fists during the national anthem. This was a silent protest for human rights and for black Americans.
The "Pelé Pact" and World Cup Fame
Before the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Rudolf's son, Armin Dassler (from Puma), and Adi's son, Horst Dassler (from Adidas), made an agreement called "The Pelé Pact". They agreed not to try to sign Pelé, the world's most famous athlete, because they thought it would be too expensive. However, Puma broke this agreement and signed Pelé.
Puma paid Pelé a percentage of Puma King boot sales and also paid him $120,000 (which would be about $2.85 million today) to tie his shoelaces just before Brazil's quarter-final game against Peru. This was a clever marketing idea. Pelé stopped the referee from starting the game to tie his laces, and cameras zoomed in on him, showing the Puma King boots to a huge global audience. This created massive publicity for Puma.
Breaking the "Pelé Pact" made Horst furious and ended any future peace talks between the two companies. Many business experts believe this rivalry helped turn sports apparel into a huge, multi-billion dollar industry.
Puma's Growth and Public Listing
In 1973, Puma launched the Puma Clyde, a basketball shoe designed for player Walt "Clyde" Frazier. It became very popular and was important in old school hip hop and skate punk cultures.
Puma became a public company in 1986, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. It was listed on the Börse München and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In 2010, Puma bought Cobra Golf, a golf equipment company. In 2011, Puma changed its legal name to Puma SE.
Since 2018, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for people to boycott Puma. This is because Puma sponsors the Israel Football Association. Puma has announced that it will end its sponsorship of the Israel national football team in 2024.
Puma's Business and Global Reach
Puma has been a public company since 1986. Today, French luxury group Kering owns 9.8% of Puma, and Kering's main shareholder, Groupe Artémis, owns 29%.
Puma is one of the top shoe brands, along with Adidas and Nike. It employs over 18,000 people around the world. The company has offices globally, with major hubs in places like Somerville, Massachusetts; Hong Kong; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and its main headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
Who Puma Sponsors
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Puma sponsors many famous athletes and sports teams.
- Football: Many international footballers wear Puma boots, including Neymar, Gianluigi Buffon, Antoine Griezmann, and Luis Suárez. Puma also owns a small part of the German football club Borussia Dortmund and has been their supplier since 2012. Other football clubs sponsored by Puma include Manchester City F.C., AC Milan, and Olympique de Marseille. Puma also sponsors national football teams like Ghana, Switzerland, and Morocco.
- Athletics: Puma sponsors athletic associations in countries like Brazil, Jamaica, and Cuba. It also has famous sprinters like Usain Bolt, Andre De Grasse, and Karsten Warholm under contract. Many world records have been set by athletes wearing Puma shoes.
- Basketball: In 2018, Puma returned to basketball after nearly 20 years. They signed players like Marvin Bagley III and Deandre Ayton. In 2021, they launched "High Court", their first women's basketball clothing line.
- Other Sports: Puma also partners with netball teams like the Melbourne Vixens and the Silver Ferns (New Zealand's national netball team). Golfers such as Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson use equipment from Cobra Golf, Puma's golf brand.
- Motorsports: Puma makes driving shoes and race suits for motorsports. They partner with car brands like BMW, Ducati, and Ferrari. In Formula 1, Puma provides gear for teams like Mercedes AMG Petronas and Scuderia Ferrari.
- Celebrity Ambassadors: Puma works with many celebrities. Rihanna was named creative director for Puma's women's clothing line in 2014. Other ambassadors have included The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, and Big Sean. In 2024, Milind Soman became Puma's running ambassador.
Puma's Focus on Fair Practices and the Environment
Working Conditions
Puma started checking all its suppliers every year in 2000 to make sure they follow good working practices. They also share a list of their suppliers publicly.
There have been some concerns about working conditions at some of Puma's supplier factories. Puma has stated they are working to improve these situations. For example, after workers fainted in factories due to heat or smoke, Puma said they would work to make conditions better. Puma has also received a special accreditation for its Australian-made products, showing they meet good labor standards there.
Caring for the Environment
In 2011, a newspaper called The Guardian said Puma was the first major company to measure its environmental impact. Puma has promised that within four years, half of its international collections will be made using sustainable methods. This means using more recycled materials and making sure their suppliers also use sustainable practices.
Puma encourages its suppliers to be more environmentally friendly by offering financial benefits. They also managed to greatly reduce their own carbon emissions worldwide by using renewable energy.
In 2023, Puma announced it would stop using kangaroo leather in its products, including its redesigned KING football boot, which now uses at least 20% recycled material. Puma also launched a new project called "Voices of a Re:Generation" to get ideas from young people on how to be more sustainable.
In January 2024, a report named Puma the 'most sustainable brand' because of its high sustainability rating, clear practices, and low carbon footprint from its website visits.
See also
In Spanish: Puma (marca) para niños
