Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sport

The fascinating story of the enemy brothers behind adidas and puma, whose rivalry shaped the modern sports business

Adidas and Puma are two of the biggest global brands in sports, paying stars, clubs, and competitions to show off their labels in stadiums and across magazine pages.

In Sneaker Wars, journalist Barbara Smit reveals the dramatic, character-driven story of these two power-houses. Started in their mother's laundry room in Germany, Adi and Rudi Dassler's shoe business was an instant success, their spikes worn by Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympics. But a vicious feud soon pulled them apart: by the end of World War II, the brothers split the company, dividing their family and hometown.

Adidas and Puma revolutionized the world of sport, their rivalry introducing behind-the-scenes deals and multimillion-dollar contracts. From Pelé to Joe Namath, Walt Frazier to Boris Becker, Muhammad Ali to David Beckham, they all contribute to the roller-coaster rise, near collapse, and revival of the two brands. A page-turning narrative, Sneaker Wars is a riveting blend of family drama, business, sports, and history.

What to wear, and what not to wear to the gym? When this million-dollar fitness equipment apparel question presents itself on gym days, even the strongest muscles turn to jelly.

Fitness equipment apparel has the potential to become the make-or-break factor in a fitness program - especially if you are just starting out with your get-in-shape routine.

The idea isn't to make your fitness equipment apparel part of your workout-routine. This can easily happen if you are constantly lifting straps, instead of weights; tying laces, instead of being tied up at the workstation; doing pull-downs, instead of pull-ups; or giving an entirely new meaning to doing push-ups.

You don't want to be wrestling to improve the flexibility of your fitness equipment apparel, instead of your body's. If your clothes have some stretch in them, it will be much easier to stretch yourself to the limit!

Let's start with fitness equipment apparel fabrics. To make the most of your time in the gym, you have to feel completely comfortable. Dryness, tear and abrasion resistance, stretch, ventilation, ease of movement, and durability are all factors to keep in mind.

Look for labels with references to materials such as Supplex, Lycra, Spandex, Cotton, Polyamide, Coolmax, Dri-Fit, or a combination of these. Cotton on its own is usually not the best choice. It tends to hold on to moisture, becoming unpleasantly clammy and heavy. Who goes through the workout effort in order to gn weight?

If you want to keep your cool, it is important to choose light-weight, tight-fitting fitness equipment apparel. The materials should have the characteristic of pulling sweat away from your body, transporting it to the outside of the material. The moisture can then evaporate, leaving you dry and comfortable.

An example of this is the Nike Dri-Fit range, where a high-performance microfiber polyester fabric with this quality is used. On a hot day, you wont need more than this. On a cold day, a base layer can be added for extra warmth.

For superb ventilation, knit-in mesh panels under the arms, and at the back are incorporated into some fitness equipment apparel ranges. Make sure you have no excuse to throw in the towel during those first, demanding weeks, by checking for tubular seamless body construction, and flat stitching. You don't want a seam chafing you raw in an unmentionable place!

The bottom-line in fitness equipment apparel usually consists of shorts. If you don't feel comfortable in these, choose easy-to-wear calf-length or full length workout pants. A good choice is Moving Comfort's range. DriLayer fabric, a mixture of Polyester and Lycra, will keep you cool, and it remains almost pill-free even with repeated washing.

You can also try the Adidas fitness equipment apparel range. Their Mind Body Moisture-Wicking Pants, will keep you cool and dry. These come with an elasticated waist, and a drawcord. It has handy on-seam pockets. The hem is open for comfort.

A fitted t-shirt or tank top takes care of the top half of your fitness equipment apparel search. Try a stylish, Nike Rock 'n Sport Top for women. A nice touch is the sleek racer back.

A vital part of your fitness equipment apparel is your shoes. Cross-trainers may be your best choice for the gym. Look for good support, flexibility, and cushioning.

The Optima is a good shoe to start with. It is durable and receives excellent reviews. It offers a 5mm sole. The breathable canvas upper ensures comfort, and a good fit.

Another sensible choice would be New Balance. With ABZORB cushioning in the heel, you are assured of excellent shock absorption. Leather upper offers comfort and breathability. Durability is improved with the solid rubber outsole.

The Nike Shox range includes lighter, flexible shoes in their fitness equipment apparel. These are excellent for workouts. Nike concentrated on cushioning and impact protection in the design. Internal stitching, and a one-piece tongue and innersleeve prevent chafing.

The four Nike Shox columns are made of a resilient foam that enhances the durability of the shoe. The shoe has an extremely responsive feel. Lightness is added with a lattice design.

It is a good idea to keep the color scheme of your fitness equipment apparel on the dark side throughout. This will give you a more streamlined look. A loose t-shirt for before and after the workout, may also lessen any self-consciousness. All the major manufacturers such as Adidas, Reebok, and Nike, offer quality, moisture-wicking gym wear.

When you buy fitness equipment apparel, little thought goes into the research behind the brandname. Nike's laboratory, for instance, has some of the most sophisticated scientific equipment to enable researchers to come up with the best designs and materials for peak performance.

The processes involved in testing include motion analysis, kinetics, foot-pressure measurement, ankle range of motion, heart-rate monitors, high-speed video, temperature sensors, and much more. All this to bring you the best possible shoes, shorts, or tops.

If you are partial to a particular equipment range, why not show your loyalty by wearing fitness equipment apparel with their brand name? Companies such as Cybex and Nautilus offer all you need to be able to make the most of your time in the gym. Nautilus offers the Dri-Release range, with shorts, tanks, and other apparel choices for your workout.

You have to feel so comfortable that you are able to forget about your attire. You can't work on your own flexibility if your clothes doesn't show some flexibility first! Your fitness equipment apparel has to be able to MOOOVE with you...

Rika Susan of http://www.Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

For more information visit Best-Gym-Equipment.com

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adidas Men's Samba Classic Soccer Shoe

Adidas' legendary indoor shoe, the Samba Classic Soccer Shoe, features soft leather and a low-profile gum rubber outsole to give the elite player ultimate control. They also offer a full-grain leather upper for comfort and a soft feel, die-cut EVA for lightweight comfort. Better yet, they have a non-marking outsole for use on polished indoor surfaces.

You cannot imagine a soccer training session without proper soccer training equipment. There are certain equipments that a coach must have and there are certain other equipments that each and every player should have. Lets go exploring.

Equipments For Coach

Well, there is not a very long list of equipments for the coaches, but whatever it is, the coach must have the following ready at the time of the training session.

Perhaps, the most important equipment for a coach is a whistle. A whistle is essential for a coach because it works as an effective mean to get attention from the players. The coach can also use the same to start or stop a particular activity.

If the coach has designed some timing activities in the training session, he must have a stopwatch with him.

Lots of soccer drills and games require the coach to use cones. Therefore, he must have proper number of small cones. Cones are basically used to mark a specific area in the field.

The duties and responsibilities of the coach are vast. He also needs to look after the players. Since soccer involves lots of physical activities and therefore, the coach must have a first-aid kit to cure the minor injuries.

Last, but not the least, the coach must not risk running a training session on his own alone. It is very difficult to manage everything alone and no matter how efficient a coach you are, in order to get effective and productive results from the training session, it is important that you take the help of assistants.

Equipments For Players

The players must come in their uniform.

If it is outdoor soccer training, they should wear Rubber soccer cleats. On the other hand, if it is indoor soccer training, tennis shoes will do.

Each and every player must come with their own ball. Again, the size of the ball must be in proportion to the specfic age of the players. Here, I must add that the coach should also have some spare balls because most often than not some of the players forget to come with their own balls.

The goalkeeper however requires some specialized soccer training equipment, such as brightly colored uniform so that he could easily be recognized, gloves to protect the hands and Elbow and hip pads because they have to dive several times on the ground.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer training equipment.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Coaching Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

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