A Legacy of Craftsmanship

From the earliest days of adidas, Adi Dassler applied his expertise to hand-making footwear in response to specific requirements of the athletes that inspired him. adidas continues this legacy today in its Scheinfeld factory and Herzogenaurach sample rooms, developing bespoke shoes for some of the world’s biggest stars and working closely with them throughout the process.

Under the guidance of Markus Thaler, adidas Originals has always encouraged its designers to learn all aspects of footwear manufacture, from traditional methods of shoemaking to the technical innovations that allow them to push boundaries. He has lived and breathed adidas’ ethos for more than four decades, learning his craft from Adi Dassler himself, and developing some of the brand’s most cherished silhouettes.

This film documents Markus Thaler passing his great breadth of knowledge on to a handful of young Originals designers as they create an extremely limited run of hand-made footwear for Lionel Messi, Snoop Dogg, Caroline Wozniacki and Derrick Rose.

As he approaches his well-deserved retirement after more than 40 years with the three stripes brand, it is clear what an important member of the adidas family Markus Thaler has been. Importantly, he will remain an inspirational icon for Originals designers and product developers for many years to come.