founded 1964
Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Head office
- Beaverton, Oregon, USA
- Ownership
- Nike Inc. · NYSE: NKE
Models listed: 2
The brands
Who’s who among the makers: when and where each brand began, which of its technologies I explain, and where to read its story.
founded 1949
Herzogenaurach, Germany
- Head office
- Herzogenaurach, Germany
- Ownership
- adidas AG · XETRA: ADS
Models listed: 1
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Adidas history: a 1949 workshop, then Boost
founded 1949
Kobe, Japan
- Head office
- Kobe, Japan
- Ownership
- ASICS Corp. · Tokyo: 7936
Models listed: 1
Technologies I explain
From the blog
ASICS history: the tiger that trained Nike
founded 2009
Annecy, France
- Head office
- Goleta, California, USA
- Ownership
- through Deckers · NYSE: DECK
Models listed: 1
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Hoka history: how the oversized midsole won
founded 2010
Zurich, Switzerland
- Head office
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Ownership
- On Holding AG · NYSE: ONON
Models listed: 1
From the blog
On history: the shoe that began as a hose
founded 1947
Annecy, France
- Head office
- Annecy, France
- Ownership
- through Amer Sports · NYSE: AS
Models listed: 1
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Salomon history: from skis to the high street
founded 1898
Kutztown, Pennsylvania, USA
- Head office
- Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
- Ownership
- through Wolverine World Wide · NYSE: WWW
Models listed: 1
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Saucony history: the creek and the astronauts
founded 1914
Philadelphia, USA
- Head office
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Ownership
- through Berkshire Hathaway · NYSE: BRK.B
Models listed: none yet
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Brooks history: it dropped half its own range
founded 1906
Boston, USA
- Head office
- Boston, USA
- Ownership
- family owned, not listed
Models listed: none yet
Technologies I explain
From the blog
New Balance history: a century of heritage and widths
founded 1948
Herzogenaurach, Germany
- Head office
- Herzogenaurach, Germany
- Ownership
- PUMA SE · XETRA: PUM
Models listed: none yet
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Puma history: the other Dassler brother
founded 1958
Bolton, England
- Head office
- Boston, USA
- Ownership
- owned by Authentic Brands Group
Models listed: none yet
Technologies I explain
From the blog
Reebok history: Bolton spikes to a hired name
founded 1992
Manhattan Beach, USA
- Head office
- Manhattan Beach, USA
- Ownership
- taken private in 2025
Models listed: none yet
Technologies I explain
–
From the blog
Skechers history: from rebel boots to comfortWho owns whom
Half the names on the box belong to someone else. This is the map as it stands; the stable fact, not the share price.
- 3G Capital
Skechers since 2025 – taken private on 12 September 2025.
- Amer Sports
Salomon since 2005 – sold by adidas, which had owned it since 1997. Amer Sports itself was bought by an Anta-led consortium in 2019 and listed in New York in 2024.
- Authentic Brands Group
Reebok since 2022 – a licensing company; bought from adidas, which had owned Reebok since 2006.
- Berkshire Hathaway
Brooks since 2006 – came with Russell Corporation, bought by Berkshire’s Fruit of the Loom; a stand-alone unit reporting to Warren Buffett since 2012.
- Deckers Brands
Hoka since 2013 – the UGG company.
- Wolverine World Wide
Saucony since 2012 – the Merrell company.
- Independent, listed
Adidas – listed in Frankfurt. The other half of the Dassler brothers’ firm, split in 1948 – Puma is the first half.Asics – listed in Tokyo; never bought by a larger group.Nike – listed in New York.On – listed in New York since 2021; the founders still run it.Puma – listed in Frankfurt. Largest shareholder Artémis (29%) agreed in January 2026 to sell its stake to Anta Sports; due to complete by the end of 2026.
- Private
New Balance – family-owned, not listed.
Who has what, by part of the shoe
The technologies I explain, laid out by the part of the shoe they belong to and the brand that owns them. Each name is a link to its card.
| Brand | Upper | Insole | Midsole | Outsole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adidas | – | – | Boost / Lightstrike | Continental® |
| Asics | GORE-TEX® | – | FF BLAST | AHAR / AHAR+ |
| Brooks | – | – | DNA Loft v3 · GuideRails | – |
| Hoka | – | – | Meta-Rocker | Durabrasion rubber |
| New Balance | – | – | Fresh Foam X | – |
| Nike | – | – | React / Air | Waffle rubber |
| On | – | – | CloudTec · Helion | – |
| Puma | – | – | NITRO / Floatride | PUMAGRIP |
| Reebok | – | Ortholite® | NITRO / Floatride | – |
| Salomon | – | – | – | Contagrip® |
| Saucony | – | – | PWRRUN | – |
| Skechers | – | – | – | – |
Sizing, widths and how each brand’s UK number is worked out has a page of its own.