Discover everything you need to know about the best sports brands in the world: get to know their star products, part of their history, the athletes they sponsor, and what makes them famous.
Today, sportswear does not only have to be comfortable and allow you to practice your favorite activity without any problem. Now more than ever, the big brands are also concerned about the design of their clothes and sneakers. The competition is brutal but this also means that sportswear is better than ever. Much has had to do with the rise of athleisure, the global boom for sneakers as well as the special collaborations of brands with not only elite athletes but also musicians, celebrities, and influencers. There had never been so much to choose from and that good product quality also prevailed. Learn more about the best sports brands in the world including their history, their best products, and what distinguishes them.
Nike
We start with one of the most famous and also best sports brands in the world, the American Nike. Its logo is without a doubt one of the most famous in the entire fashion industry. But Nike is much more than popcorn. Born in Oregon, Nike has grown hand in hand with great athletes such as Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal, and its biggest star of all: Michael Jordan. The Brooklyn-born basketball player has had a lot to do with Nike’s fame. When he became more famous, the brand did too and his Air Jordan shoes are an icon. not only from the history of the sport but from fashion in general. His relationship has continued many years after his retirement, being more fruitful than ever with the creation of his own sub-brand: Jordan.
And it is partly thanks to this alliance that Nike is now even more than a sportswear brand. His sneakers inspired by the models used by Jordan are one of Nike’s best-selling items. So much so that they have even had collaborations with brands like Louis Vuitton, Supreme, and Off-White among others. The clothing is not far behind and they have combined the development of garments for high sports performance with other more casual ones and with wonderful designs that dictate trends.
They currently produce the clothing for the teams of the most important sports leagues in the United States such as the NFL (American football), NBA (basketball), and MLB (baseball). Nike also sponsors major European soccer teams such as FC Barcelona, ​​​​Paris Saint Germain, Liverpool, and Chelsea or the Brazilian and French national teams.
Adidas
In 1948, one of the sports brands that would go down in history as one of the best in the world was born in Germany: Adidas. It acquired that name as it was the first letter of the name and surname of its founder Adi Dassler. Its emblem is 3 parallel lines that you will find in most of its designs for both clothing and footwear. It has been for years the official brand of the FIFA World Cup, as well as of the UEFA club and national team tournaments, including the Champions League and the European Championship.
Their sportswear is of the highest quality using special fabrics with the highest technology to practice your favorite sport in the best way. It is very important for Adidas to continue to innovate with the technology used for its garments and we have seen great advances from Climacool (one of the first breathable fabrics), Techfit (t-shirts close to the body with bands on the back), to the current Aeroready and HEAT.
Like Nike, Adidas has expanded its horizons, also interested in more casual clothing and not just sports. That’s why they created a sub-brand called Adidas Originals. Originals garments are purely casual and stand out for their fun design with retro overtones. They have had many collaborations and special collections either from movies like Star Wars or The Simpsons as well as with designers and celebrities. One of the most striking is his Y3 collection made in conjunction with the famous Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto.
Cougar
We continue in the same family since the brother of the founder of Adidas made his own brand that also occupies a space among the best sports brands in the world. Puma was born after Rudolf Dassler’s fight with his brother Adi, generating a legendary rivalry. As its name says, its logo is a silhouette of a jumping cougar. But the brand has another design that differentiates it from all the others. The figure that appears on the sides of all his sneakers is practically unmistakable and a symbol of Puma. This brand was one of the pioneers in the development of football boots that we know today.
Innovation has not stopped at Puma and they continue to surprise with better and newer products for sports. It has sponsored great athletes over time, standing out as historical athletes such as the soccer players Pelé and Johan Cruyff or the Jamaican runner Usain Bolt. They have also expanded to other sports and currently collaborate with major Formula 1 teams such as Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. With the latter, it has been one of its most important alliances, producing clothing, footwear, and accessories with the traditional red color and logo of the automotive brand.
Under Armor
Despite being one of the youngest companies in the sector, Under Armor is here to stay as one of the best sportswear brands in the world. It was created by Kevin Plank, a former college football player. Based on his experience that the clothes he wore did not stay dry during the game, he created a shirt with a special fabric that evaporated sweat faster. There is a lot of research and technology behind Under Armor apparel. They have managed to produce revolutionary fabrics. For example, with their Storm garments, you can go running in the rain without the water touching your skin. They also have specific clothing to exercise with cold or heat and keep your body cool or warm as you need it.
Their most famous tops and bottoms are the body-hugging design, but they also have looser clothing so you can choose what’s most comfortable for you. She has a notorious partnership with actor Dwayne Johnson for a joint collection called Project Rock. It is one of the best sellers of the brand and contains in its design motivational phrases in addition to the famous bull symbol of The Rock. It is also the brand that sponsors the famous American basketball player Stephen Curry who also has an exclusive collection with his number 30 of him.
Reebok
The 80s made it the number 1 sports brand, but although they have lost popularity, Reebok is still one of the most compliant brands. They were one of the first English companies to make sports shoes at the beginning of the 20th century. But his great fame would not come until the eighties and taking advantage of the world boom for aerobics, exercise, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, everyone needed sports shoes/tennis. Reebok was one of the best-selling brands since, in addition, the design of its shoes was one of the most liked at the time. Time passed and his fame waned. Adidas acquired the brand in 2005 changing the focus of the company.
It did not disappear, however, it stopped producing clothing for professional sports teams, focusing more on other types of sports. Reebok became the company’s fitness brand making products for the gym, Crossfit, yoga, and pilates. For a time they were also the official brand of the UFC, a mixed martial arts company. In 2021 Adidas decided to sell the Reebok brand to an American investment group. It is not known what plans they will have for the brand, but given the investment made (more than $2 billion dollars) it is clear that they will bet heavily on its future. Today the brand’s sneaker models are in total contrast. They have both vintage models from their golden years as well as others with futuristic designs to please any taste.
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