Will Adidas outsell Nike?

During Fall 2005, KU Athletics Department began a partnership with Adidas, a decision Bill Self classified as a business decision for the athletics department. The move is leaving local retailers wondering if Adidas will ever outsell Nike.

Brian Hoffman, owner of Sports Dome, 1000 Massachusetts St., said that the quality of the product will determine selling success, not brand name.

"I think people will start looking for quality over whether it's Adidas or Nike. It's whoever has the best product I think is going to sell. That's what I'm going to put on the shelf, on the floor. It would be the best product which would probably be Nike, a lot more Nike," Hoffman said.

Apparel reps believe that Kansas will face a similar situation as their Nebraska rival. Despite the Cornhusker partnership with Adidas in 1996, the university sells more of the swoosh than the three stripes. Lawrence shopper Ryan Hubona said the Adidas products can't compete in all aspects.

"I' d rather have the Adidas jerseys and t-shirts but I think the Nike shorts are the difference maker. The shorts, they really can't compete with," Hubona said.

While the University receives $3.4 million dollars annually from Adidas, it also receives 7 percent of all KU Nike sales sold at all athletic retailers nationwide.

"I think Nike will continue to outsell unless Addias does step up and start producing better quality retail sales. The jerseys the players wear, they are the real thing, but what they offer to retail is a little bit slim compared to what Nike offers," Hoffman said.

Globally, Nike apparel continues to outshine Adidas. In Nike's 2005 fiscal year revenues were a reported 3.7 billion dollars, almost six billion more than Adidas grossed in 2004.