Herzogenaurach Herzogenaurach Herzogenaurach (; East Franconian: "Herziaura") is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma, as well as the large car parts manufacturer Schaeffler Group. Herzogenaurach is situated in the Middle Franconia area of Bavaria, approx. 23 km (or 14 miles) northwest of Nuremberg. The town is located on the Aurach river, a tributary of the Regnitz river. Herzogenaurach was first mentioned in a document from 1002 under the name of "Uraha" when Holy Roman Emperor Henry II granted the town to
Sneakers made available for men and women. Athletic shoes were used by competing athletes at the Olympics, helping to popularise athletic shoes among the general public. In 1936, a French brand, Spring Court, marketed the first canvas tennis shoe featuring signature eight ventilation channels on a vulcanised natural rubber sole. Adolf "Adi" Dassler began producing his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, after his return from World War I, and went on to establish one of the leading athletic shoe manufacturers, Adidas. He also successfully marketed his shoes to athletes at the 1936 Summer Olympics, which