After Kanye, will Adidas have a Gulden age?

Adidas on Tuesday confirmed that Bjorn Gulden, the outgoing chief executive officer of rival Puma, will succeed Kasper Rorsted at the helm of the sportswear giant. His first task: fill the €1.8 billion ($2.8 billion) hole left by the end of Adidas’s longstanding tie-up with disgraced musician Kanye West. That’s the revenue analysts at RBC estimate his Yeezy label generated for Adidas in 2021 — amounting to 45 per cent of the corporation’s net profit.

Adidas has stressed that it is the sole owner of all Yeezy designs. That leaves the door open to bringing the shoes back in another guise. But Yeezy without Ye looks problematic for two reasons.

First, some consumers may see the continuity of styles – even without the Yeezy name — as not going far enough in distancing Adidas from its former collaborator. Further backlash could put more financial pressure on the company. On the other hand, those still loyal to Ye may not buy the relaunched designs because they are no longer associated with the star.

Gulden, however, has a track record that may help Adidas find a way forward. He’s rejuvenated Puma since joining in July 2013: sales more than doubled over the period to €6.8 billion in 2021. He lifted the operating margin to 8.2 per cent last year from 2.1 per cent in 2013. Puma shares have outperformed Adidas by about 62 per cent on a total return basis in the nine years since Gulden signed on.

While Adidas made progress in recent years in football and running, it has fallen behind in more fashion-focused areas. The loss of Yeezy only amplifies that failing.

Puma, formerly controlled by Gucci owner Kering, has remained a fashion-forward sportswear company. Unlike Adidas, it has been quick to capitalise on Gen Z’s desire for retro 1990s styles, from chunky sneakers to logo track pants and cross-body bags. Rihanna debuted her Fenty line with Puma in 2016. It also unveiled a three-way collaboration with fashion house Balmain and supermodel-actress Cara Delevingne in late 2019. Earlier this year, Puma launched an environmentally friendly yoga collection with her.

While Adidas made progress in recent years in football and running, it has fallen behind in more fashion-focused areas. The loss of Yeezy only amplifies that failing.

Gulden could help re-energise this part of the business, particularly in footwear. For one, he could more effectively mine the Adidas archive. Womenswear is another opportunity for him: it accounts for only about a quarter of sales at Adidas and rival Nike, compared with 50 per cent to 60 per cent in the mainstream footwear and apparel market, according to analysts at Redburn. Here Adidas has a tie-up with Beyonce’s Ivy Park, which has yet to live up to its potential.