The adidas Group's global apparel production from 2008 to 2020

In 2020, the adidas Group produced approximately 465 million units of apparel worldwide, a decrease of 73 million units on the previous year. This represented a drop of around 12 percent.

Asia at the center of global operations network

The adidas Group’s apparel production has risen year-on-year since 2012. To keep costs down, the company outsources almost all of its production to independent manufacturing partners, the majority of which are located in Asia. The continent is a hub for sourcing and manufacturing products: 93 percent of the adidas Group’s apparel was produced in Asia in 2020, whilst 97 percent of its footwear was produced in the region. Footwear production has increased each year since 2009, with approximately 379 million pairs of shoes produced in 2020.

Rivals team up to take on Nike

In August 2005, the adidas Group bought Reebok in a transaction valued at 3.8 billion U.S. dollars. The deal created a larger competitor for Nike, which remains the leading athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories company worldwide. At the time, the acquisition increased the visibility of the adidas brand, particularly in the United States, where the takeover expanded adidas’ share of the sports footwear market to around 20 percent.