When shopping for sportswear, it’s hard to overlook Adidas. This three-stripe logo brand is ubiquitous—in malls, on billboards, in magazines, and even in your Google recommendations.
Adidas has a crazy appeal, but their prices are even crazier. On average, they charge between $140 and $180 for each pair. Their limited editions and performance models cost even more.
But why are Adidas’ prices so high? Read on, and I will break down the top reasons for their high price and help you decide whether a single pair is worth the gamble.
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Reasons for Why Are Adidas Shoes So Expensive?
Adidas is a leading sportswear brand and they have higher prices to ensure high quality. This way, customers won’t buy cheap, low-quality shoes and then think poorly of the brand.
With quality, there are other reasons, like engaging in markets with newer trends, retaining legacy, bringing innovation, practicing sustainability and working as consumers expect. All of these factors influence the price of their footwear.
Now, let me provide a logical explanation for each of the reasons I mentioned.
Legacy and Brand Recognition
First and foremost, their high prices are due to their immense fame and reputation.
Adidas, officially founded in 1949, has a rich history that dates back even further to Adi Dassler. Over the years, the brand has built a strong legacy by partnering with famous people and teams, starting with the German national team during the 1954 World Cup. This powerful representation helped Adidas Shoes get famous and make products like Stan Smith and the Superstar shoe line iconic and popular.
With that, they worked on the customer’s satisfaction. They release comfortable, stylish, and high-performing sportswear every year. This strategy helped Adidas solidify its legacy as an outstanding brand.
And you probably know the rule; to buy the products of an outstanding brand, you have to spend some outstanding cash.
Innovation
Adidas is a big brand known for its top-quality products. They are quite good at innovation as well. Adidas experiments with trendy fabrics, shapes, and colors for shoes. They also modernize classic designs, leading to successful new styles.
In athletic technology, Adidas introduced popular lines like Boost and AlphaBOUNCE. They have also explored 3D printing with their Futurecraft 4D process to make high-tech, customizable shoes. This innovation, combined with creative lifestyle marketing and endorsements from celebrities like Kanye West, has led to higher prices for their footwear.
Along with that, Adidas invests heavily in research, allowing it to introduce innovative features first. With many patents at stake, Adidas leads in functionality. Adidas is always trying to keep ahead of other brands by introducing technology that hasn’t been invented.
So, that’s another reason for them to raise the cost, as they’re introducing new technology into the market.
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Open-Source Creative Processes
Another reason Adidas Shoes is expensive is its focus on open-source creative processes. It’s a strategy that Adidas uses to learn from creative athletes and consumers about what they want or expect from the brand.
A few interesting examples of this approach include campaigns like the Parley for the Ocean project, which produced UltraBoost sneakers made from plastic ocean waste. Also, there was the Calling All Creators campaign, which used celebrities to highlight collaborative creativity and exemplified this approach.
By using this method to source inspiration, Adidas is able to develop diverse, trendy, and innovative concepts that directly appeal to consumers. This commitment to consumer-driven design justifies the higher prices of their products.
Love for Planet
Adidas has always valued sustainable practices. Their sustainability efforts began in 1998 when the company announced its environmental and social standards that all suppliers must uphold.
In 2012, Adidas outfitted all volunteers at the London Olympic Games with uniforms made from recycled polyester. By 2021, more than 70% of the polyester Adidas used in products was recycled. With that, Adidas aims to discontinue the use of virgin polyester wherever possible by 2025.
For material, Adidas uses sustainable materials like recycled polyester, recycled rubber, recycled nylon, Better Cotton, TENCEL, water-based polyurethane (PU), algae-based EVA, and recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
For leather, they are part of the Leather Working Group (LWG). This ensures their hides come from tanneries with traceable leather that follows all regulations. Adidas sources raw materials from LWG Gold-rated suppliers. This ensures their operations do not contribute to deforestation.
With all these plans for sustainable material usage and environmentally friendly practices, production costs increase. As a result, the shoes became more expensive.
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Celebrity Collaborations and Endorsements
The next factor that influences the price of Adidas shoes is their endorsement of famous celebrities and athletes. Such partnerships for Adidas have been quite good in recent years.
One of their most successful partnerships is with Kanye West. In partnership, they launched “The Yeezy sneakers,” which brought a great deal of attention and sales volume to Adidas Shoes. But this is not the only important endorsement for the company.
Another significant financial agreement is with James Harden. His signature lineup introduces top-of-the-line basketball shoes. This collaboration has also helped bring more attention to Adidas’ athletic footwear.
So, as these lineups come from well-known people, Adidas makes them a bit more expensive.
Final Thoughts: Should You Own a Pair of Adidas Shoes?
Yes! If you want to buy a pair of Adidas shoes, go for it. Adidas offers a wide category to choose from, especially in their footwear. And it’s good to know that all Adidas categories excel in comfort, durability, performance, and innovation. Their shoes are stylish and comfortable, making them a standout choice for anyone. Their shoes are an investment that can last for years.
So, even if they’re costly, their long-lasting quality makes them worth it. You won’t be disappointed with Adidas.
FAQ
Which Is Older, Adidas or Nike?
Clearly speaking, Adidas is a much older brand than Nike.
In 1949, Adi Dassler founded Adidas in Germany. However, Nike was founded in the United States in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. But Nike was originally launched as Blue Ribbon Sports before becoming Nike, Inc. in 1971.
Who Is Bigger, Adidas or Nike?
Nike is a far bigger brand than Adidas. Even though Adidas was founded way before,
Nike leads the global sportswear market in terms of revenue and market share.
While Adidas is a strong competitor and has a significant presence worldwide, Nike consistently reports higher annual revenues and maintains a larger share of the global athletic footwear and apparel market.
Why Is Adidas Shoes So Popular?
Adidas is popular largely due to its marketing strategies. They invest heavily in traditional advertising methods like billboards, TV, newspapers, and magazines. To compete with Nike, Adidas also leverages digital marketing through social media, influencer marketing, and paid ads.
Additionally, Adidas is very active in sponsoring sports teams, including big names like Real Madrid, the England and South Africa cricket teams, and UK football teams. Many professional athletes are part of their influencer campaigns. So, because of these, they are so popular.
