Despite the fact that most modern day Puma fans lap up all the more extreme modern styling whilst ignoring its heritage, this German company is truly authentic to its core. With the likes of Olympic gold medallist/black power protestor Tommie Smith, Pele and the NBA god Walt 'Clyde' Frazier on their side, you cannot deny their mark on history and importance today. Collaborations with style gurus such as Neil Barrett, 96 hours initiatives and from Puma archive releases will maintain this standing for years to come. The company was founded in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) in Herzogenaurach, Germany by Rudolf Dassler, the brother of Adolf "Adi" Dassler, who founded competitor Adidas. The company now operates a virtualized corporate structure, using electronic communications to disperse the organization across the globe. The company changed its name to PUMA Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler in 1948, and became a public company in 1986, listed on the Börse München and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.