adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden was understandably riding high at the Footwear News Awards while accepting the Shoe Of The Year honor for the Samba. He joked “To the people from Nike here: Watch out, we have a lot in the pipeline.” The former Puma CEO stepped into the role at the beginning of the year and helped navigate the brand through controversy, including losing hundreds of millions from the YEEZY fallout. A bright note for the Three Stripes has been the continued success of the Samba as one of the most popular silhouettes in recent years, and a collaboration hit.
Jordan Brand Chairman Larry Miller cheekily responded to the warning by saying, “To the brands that called us out earlier, bring it on. We’re ready for you.” While brands like New Balance and Puma have begun to close the gap, adidas has been Nike’s biggest rival for decades. While nobody will argue that adidas had a bigger year than the Swoosh, it’s hard to pick a sneaker on a hotter streak than the Samba. The biggest winner amongst brand competition is always the consumer so we’re excited to see what adidas has in store.
