Yamamoto to fashion Adidas style

GERMAN sporting goods giant Adidas has linked with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto in a bid to sprint ahead of rivals Nike and Puma. He will head a new department responsible for taking the long-time athletic brand from the track to the catwalks.

'In the 1980s we missed the running trend and the aerobics trend,' said Erich Stamminger, head of global marketing. 'I told myself, now we have this chance, we are going to make the most of it'.'

Ever since Puma designs from the 1980s began appearing on the feet of American hip-hop stars and athletes two years ago, rivals have been racing to catch up. Puma, which shares a town in Bavaria with Adidas, announced record worldwide sales last year of more than e1bn (£636m).

Company officials say shoes from the 'lifestyle' section of their brand made up a majority of their footwear sales. They also struck up a co-operation agreement with German fashion designer Jil Sander's firm in Hamburg.

Nike, the worldwide leader in sports apparel, brought in Mindy Grossman, a designer from Polo Jeans, and saw similar success. Fourth-quarter earnings this year were more than 20% up on those of last year. Adidas, the second sports outfitter behind Nike, could no longer wait in the wings so Yamamoto was hired.

The 59-year-old, who has excited the fashion world for more than 20 years, designed a limited edition collection of trainers for the firm's autumn/winter collection a year ago.

He had already used the famous Adidas stripes in his products two years ago. The three stripes appeared on everything from jackets to handbags. He also took Adidas shoes and covered them in goat leather or pinstripes and watched as they fetched upwards of e650 in boutiques.

'I wanted to work against the ugly technological sneaker,' he said. 'Young kids all over the world are wearing sneakers - I couldn't ignore it.'

Neither could Adidas. The company had already restructured its product areas. The shoes, accessories and textiles departments were renamed performance, heritage and equipment.

Adidas originals stores, selling 1980s-era training suits and shoes, opened across the globe and celebrities such as Robbie Williams and Madonna began paying homage to the company's retro look.

Yamamoto will become creative director of Adidas Sport Style, which replaces the equipment division and is solely responsible for creating a niche for the sporting goods giant in the fashion world. The company plans to introduce the first outfits and official product name this October.

'It's difficult to find nice sportswear for everyday life,' Yamamoto said. 'What I see right now - the cut, the mix of colours - is awful.'