How Adidas Started to Devalue Its Own Brand
- Adidas's Strategy: Under CEO Bjørn Gulden, Adidas is releasing more products, leading to strong sales and popularity, especially in football.
- Brand Dilution Risk: By flooding the market with products, Adidas risks devaluing its premium image and facing brand dilution issues similar to Puma.
- Oversupply and Discounts: Adidas is overproducing shirts and boots, leading to heavy discounts and potentially harming the brand in the long term.
On the surface, things are running incredibly well for Adidas right now. The brand is enjoying strong sales, highly visible campaigns, and massive popularity across the football world. Much of this aggressive new strategy comes under the leadership of CEO Bjørn Gulden, who was acquired from Puma.
While releasing more products than ever before gives fans unprecedented choice, it raises a serious question about the long-term health of the Three Stripes. By consistently flooding the market, Adidas risks cheapening its premium image and could soon face the exact same brand dilution problems that Puma has battled over the years.
Too Many Products Lead to Heavy Discounts: Adidas Could Face the Same Problems as Puma
The exact same trend is already visible in the football boot market. Just a few years ago, Adidas Predator remakes were highly sought-after collector's items that sold out in minutes. Now, they are regularly sitting on shelves and ending up in clearance sales simply because the brand has pushed out far too many releases to match the actual demand. The sheer volume of new drops has already completely killed the hype for limited-edition boots, and football kits could very well be the next victim.
We are currently seeing a massive overproduction of shirts across the board. A perfect illustration of this strategy is the at least five different Germany retro remakes to be launched in the coming weeks. More concerningly, shirts that were initially hugely popular and completely sold out are being reproduced so often that retailers are eventually desperate to get rid of their excess stock.
The prime example of this phenomenon is the vibrant pink Germany Euro 2024 away shirt. It was officially celebrated as the fastest-selling German away kit ever and sold out after launch. However, Adidas restocked it several times to chase the hype. Fast forward to today, and the market is completely saturated. As a result, this once highly sought-after shirt - alongside numerous recent releases for Manchester United, Leeds United, and Aston Villa - is being dumped into sales with up to 70% off the original price.
Another reason for Adidas’s enormous success in football is the return of the Trefoil logo on football shirts. Shirts featuring the classic trefoil are far more popular than those without it, though this effect is likely to wane as more and more shirts feature the trefoil. There is still a big opportunity for Adidas here by bringing the Trefoil to the home kits, which we expect for 2028/2029/2030.
Constantly oversupplying the market and ultimately relying on extreme discounts to shift leftover stock is a dangerous cycle that could severely hurt the brand in the long term.
Current season Adidas kits available for just 33 euros via German clearance seller Prinz Sportlich (They used AI to generate the image, the Madrid kit turned out quite wrong 😅
Do you think Adidas is producing too many shirts and boots, ultimately damaging its own brand value? Comment below.
Leaked: Adidas Originals River Plate Retro Shirt Hints at 26-27 Away Kit
We have the first image of a brand-new Adidas Originals River Plate retro shirt. It is part of the team's 26-27 away collection.
The River Plate retro shirt features a color-blocked design reminiscent of classic 1980s sportswear. The upper half of the torso and the raglan sleeves are solid red, while the lower half is crisp white. Separating the two sections is a prominent, thick black horizontal chest band. A classic white Adidas Trefoil logo and the traditional River Plate shield sit high on the chest, keeping the design completely free of modern sponsors for a pure, vintage aesthetic.
Vitória SC Announces Hummel Kit Deal
Vitória Sport Clube has officially announced a new five-year technical sponsorship deal with Hummel, beginning with the 2026-27 season. The Danish sportswear brand will supply the Portuguese club's match kits, training gear, and lifestyle apparel until the end of the 2030-31 campaign. This agreement brings an end to Vitória SC's decade-long partnership with Macron, who had been the club's kit maker since the 2016-17 season.
The club described the new agreement as a "return to the past to project into the future," referencing Hummel's previous stint as Vitória SC's kit supplier during 1992-92.
Boca Juniors 26-27 Shirt + Shorts, Socks & Pre-Match Jersey Leaked
We can leak the full look at the Boca Juniors 2026-27 home kit - it is completed by shorts and socks that match the stripe design of the kit.
SV Austria Salzburg 26-27 Home Kit Released
The new SV Austria Salzburg home kit for the 26-27 season has been officially released today. Made by Capelli, the new shirt will be worn by the club in the Austrian 2. Liga.
The Capelli SV Austria Salzburg 2026-27 home jersey features a bespoke design in the club's traditional colors. It incorporates two different tones of violet and is highlighted by a custom graphic showcasing the Hohensalzburg fortress and the towers of the old town, representing the team's local identity and heritage.
The Capelli SV Austria Salzburg 2026-27 home football shirt is available to purchase immediately through the club's official fanshop, retailing at a price of 69 Euro.
Glentoran 26-27 Home Kit Released
Glentoran and Macron have launched the club's new 2026-27 home kit for the upcoming NIFL Premiership campaign. The design pays homage to the classic 1992-93 shirt worn during their memorable European Cup tie against Marseille, featuring a green body with red sleeves and shoulder panels separated by black trim.
Giving the shirt a distinct early 1990s retro feel, a red fold-over collar is included with black striping and a black V-shaped insert at the front. A tonal graphic pattern runs across both the green and red sections, adding texture to the Macron Eco Fabric. The Macron Hero logo appears in white on the chest and sleeves, sitting opposite the stitched Glentoran crest and its accompanying gold star.
Additional details include the club motto Le Jeu Avant Tout embroidered in white on the back of the collar, and Glentoran FC Est 1882 printed inside the lower hem. Featuring Bet McLean as the main sponsor, the new Glentoran 2026-27 home shirt is completed with matching white shorts and green socks.
Grimsby Town Announces Lotto Kit Deal
Grimsby Town Football Club has officially announced a multi-year partnership with Italian sportswear brand Lotto Sport, who will become the club's official kit supplier starting from the 2026-27 season. Lotto replaces Umbro, whose kits were supplied to the club in collaboration with Kitlocker.
The announcement has been met with a positive reaction from fans, many of whom fondly remember the club's previous stint with Lotto kits in the late 1990s.
While no official images of the new 2026-27 kits have been released yet, supporters are eagerly anticipating the unveiling of the new designs.
