Adidas or Nike?

By Gregory John "G.J." Vitale on October 1, 2012

In the world of sportswear, two names stand out: Adidas and Nike. Let’s admit it. Under Armor, Champion, Reebok (although Adidas owns Reebok, it’s still widely viewed as its own entity by the public)…they’re all just ants to the giant feet of these two juggernauts.

I was walking around campus the other day and noticed the completeness of this dominance. The reason I began to actually notice the brands of my fellow Jumbos–no I’m not a creep who does this on a daily basis–was because I myself was wearing Adidas high-tops, Nike mid-calf socks, Nike sweatpants, Nike compression shorts, and an Adidas t-shirt. Not to my surprise  but rather my expectation, nearly everyone I observed wearing sports-like clothing was flaunting at least one visible Adidas or Nike symbol.

Growing up playing baseball, Nike and Adidas came up solely when talks of cleats came up (I had Nike or Adidas cleats for as long as I can remember until my high school team got sponsored by New Balance in my sophomore year). Everything else I owned for baseball was either Easton, Mizuno, Rawlings, or Wilson.

With Nike, it’s all about PR. They sponsor the biggest names, lead the way in innovation, and are financially the most successful overall. “Just do it” has been ravaging the shirts and minds of players and fans alike since its coining in 1988. And Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan apparel sells like hotcakes (people will buy anything if they think some of MJ’s magic will rub off on their b-ball skills–we all want to be Like Mike).

Adidas, on the other hand, is on the rise, innovating and brushing past all competitors other than Nike. Adidas, however, seems to have the upper hand in the world’s most popular sport: soccer, aka “football.” Adidas also has the edge in that its products are mostly cheaper even though they are not all that different from Nike’s.

As a general rule, I like to go with the cheaper option if the two are a toss-up. But, in a world increasingly influenced by media and endorsements, Nike is able to sell its products at a slightly more expensive price than Adidas because of the famous athletes they sponsor. Throw a stylized outline of MJ dunking on the side of a shoe, and it’s immediately worth $15 more. So is the vice of consumerism.

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