Germany may have under-performed at this year's Fifa World Cup, but the same can't be said for its jersey sponsor Adidas. Photo / Getty Images
Adidas got a boost from the World Cup even though some of the traditional powerhouses it sponsors, including its home country Germany, flamed out early in the tournament.
Teams supported by rival Nike - including winner France and runner-up Croatia - dominated the World Cup. But Adidas still sold record
numbers of jerseys linked to the event. That fueled a 10 per cent rise in its shares on Thursday, the biggest since March.
The company's shirt sales topped the 8 million sold in connection with the tournament in Brazil four years ago, Chief Executive Officer Kasper Rorsted said on a call with reporters, making good on his June prediction. That's even though Germany and Adidas-sponsored Spain and Argentina all exited early.
"Most of the jerseys are sold before and during the tournament," Rorsted said. "Who is in the final has no commercial impact.''
The company also withstood a shift in off-the-field fashion away from minimalist classic shoes like the Stan Smith sneaker and toward so-called dad shoes - chunkier versions of designs from the 1980s and 1990s. German competitor Puma last month said the change hurt its sales in the first half of the year.
