Throughout the world, there are various prominent sports equipment firms. And the sporting goods industry has grown dramatically in the last year. As a result, there is a huge need for sporting equipment. Many companies all over the world manufacture and sell sporting equipment. Furthermore, with the growing span of numerous sporting activities, equipment is always required to match demand.
There are numerous large sporting equipment firms whose products are regarded as world-class. Even professional athletes and sports clubs use their high-quality items. Today, we bring you a list of the world’s top sports equipment firms.
Furthermore, this list includes some of the largest firms, such as Nike and Adidas, as well as sport-specific enterprises. So, without further ado, here is a list of the top equipment firms around the globe.
Top 13 Sports Equipment Companies in the World
We created this list to be used as a reference with many reliable sites on the internet, such as Ranker.com.
So, before we get into the contents of the list, let’s take a brief look at the take.
| Company | Country |
| 13. Brine | USA |
| 12. Bauer Hockey | USA |
| 11. Black Diamond | USA |
| 10. Babolat | France |
| 9. Avery Dennison | USA |
| 8. Athleta | USA |
| 7. ASICS | Japan |
| 6. Aqua Lung / La Spirotechnique | France |
| 5. Apeks | England |
| 4. AND1 | USA |
| 3. Amer Sports | Finland |
| 2. Adidas | Germany |
| 1. Nike | USA |
13. Brine
Brine is the first firm on our list of top sports equipment companies. W.H. Bine founded the corporation as the W.H. Brine Company in 1922. The corporation is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, in the United States. Initially, the Brine family controlled the company privately.
However, New Balance purchased this company on August 4, 2006.
When the company first began, it manufactured minor sports equipment and uniforms. They immediately expanded to produce lacrosse and soccer equipment. Furthermore, Brine was the first to coat a soccer ball in synthetic leather.
Brine now manufactures equipment for lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, and volleyball. Similarly, the company produces footwear and clothing.
12. Bauer Hockey
In 1927, the Bauer family founded The Bauer Hockey Company in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Bauer also makes ice hockey equipment, fitness, and recreational skates, and apparel. The company’s flagship product was initially promoted and traded under the name “Bauer Supreme.”
Bauer then began manufacturing the perforated TUUK chassis in 1994. The piece of equipment connects the steel blade to the skate’s boot. Bauer now manufactures helmets, sticks, gloves, shin guards, skates, shoulder pads, elbow pads, hockey jocks, compression underwear, and other items.
Furthermore, its equipment, such as ice hockey skates, is approved for use in the sport of ringette. Canstar, Bauer’s parent company, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nike in 1994. As a result, in 2006, the company’s product was relaunched as Nike Buer.
11. Black Diamond
The Black Diamond is a publicly traded firm situated in the United States. Clarus Corporation owns the corporation, which was founded on December 1, 1989. His pistons immediately became well-known for their high quality, and the Chouinard Equipment Company was established.
The Chouinard company was then purchased by a former group of employees, and Black Diamond was born. In addition, Black Diamond Equipment Europe was founded in Switzerland in 1996. Following this, the company’s products were available globally.
The company produces and creates climbing, skiing, and mountain sports equipment.
10. Babolat
The next firm on our list is a French sports equipment manufacturer. The company is one of the oldest sporting equipment manufacturers, producing tennis, badminton, and padel equipment.
In 1875, Pierre Babolat established the company as a family enterprise. The company started and grew popular with gut racquet strings. It gradually rose to become one of the leading manufacturers of racquet-sports equipment.
Tennis had grown in popularity around the world by the 1950s. Knowing this, Paul Babolat established an international retail network for his products, which became an instant success. Similarly, Babolat’s popularity grew, and the company remained focused on strings until 1994.
Following that, the company rebranded as a tennis company and began producing racquet frames.
Furthermore, the company is a forerunner in connected sports technology. Similarly, the company released a connected wrist-worn tennis wearable with PIQ in 2015.
9. Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison is a worldwide public maker of sports goods that was founded in 1990. It is a Fortune 500 firm situated in the United States. Kum Kleen Products, the company’s original name, was created in 1935.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Staton Avery were the company’s joint partners. The company was called Avery Adhesive after that year. The company’s name changed several times over the years before being called Avery Dennison in 1990.
Avery Dennison, on the other hand, has the history, brand, log, and full name. The company produces and sells pressure-sensitive gluey materials, clothing, and branding labels. It also manufactures RFID inlays and specialty medical goods. The Pressure-Sensitive Material, Retail Branding, Information Solutions, and Information Management Products segments.
8. Athleta
Athleta is a women’s apparel company that was established in 1998. This is a well-known business that produces comfortable women’s clothing while also empowering women.
Activewear makers have only recently begun to customize for women. Furthermore, the macho styling and severe cuts limited the women. Scott Kerslake was a former investment banker, cyclist, and surfer.
He used to pedal with women and witnessed the discomfort they felt when cycling. Then Kerslake had the bright notion to start a women’s clothing company.
He intended to create activewear that would allow ladies to work out and participate in sports in comfort and style. As a result, he established the Atheta brand, which specializes in women’s activewear.
The brand also emphasizes female empowerment and the creation of comfortable activewear for women. “The Power of She” is the brand’s powerful message.
Gap purchased Athleta for $150 million in 2008. Then, in 2016, a campaign called “Power of She” was launched, further solidifying the brand’s value and heritage of female empowerment.
7. ASICS
Following that is ASICS, a Japanese global firm. Onitsuka Tiger, the company’s original name, was formed in 1949. Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the company to produce basketball shoes in his hometown of Kobe.
Later, the company’s apparel evolved into a range of Olympic outfits. ASICS Corporation was formed in 1977 when Onitsuka Tiger amalgamated with GTO and JELENK.
Despite the name change, the vintage collection of ASICS sneakers is still manufactured and sold abroad under the Onitsuka Tiger brand.
Although ASICS is best known for its footwear, the firm also manufactures and sells clothes, compression garments, and accessories like backpacks and bags.
6. La Spirotechnique / Aqua Lung
A French company ranks sixth among our top sports supplies companies. Aqua Lung, originally known as La Spirotechnique, is a diving equipment manufacturer that produces scuba, self-contained breathing devices, and other diving equipment.
The company was formed in 1942 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a ship’s Lieutenant, and Émile Gagnan, an engineer. Cousteau and Gagnan asked Air Liquide at Boulogne-Billancourt to build two scuba equipment prototypes in 1943.
The prototypes were used to film the underwater film Épaves (Shipwrecks) the following year. The two prototype sets were the very first modern diving regulators. Later that year, both founders received patents for the first modern diving regulator.
Air Liquide established La Spirotechnique in 1946 to design and mass-produce regulators and other diving equipment. The CG45, the first commercialized contemporary regulator, was introduced by La Spirotechnique in the same year.
Similarly, in 1955, the business introduced the Mistral, a single-stage regulator. This regulator was less expensive to produce and easier to breathe than the CG45. Furthermore, the advent of Mistral aided in the globalization of scuba diving.
Until 2016, the company was a division of Air Liquide. The company was then sold to Montagu Private Equity in 2016.
5. Apeks
Apeks Marine Equipment Ltd. is yet another well-known manufacturer of scuba diving equipment. The company’s headquarters are in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. Ken Ainscough and Eric Partington formed the company in 1974, with their names anagramming Apeks.
The founders began their business in a modest garage in the north of England. Even though they operated out of a garage, their equipment quickly became popular.
Apeks gear is used in some of the most extreme diving situations. Furthermore, the company’s products are among the best, with very reliable performance.
Apeks equipment is used by many professional and technical drivers. Furthermore, the items are not only dependable and pleasant, but they are also environmentally friendly.
All raw materials and manufacturing methods are environmentally conscious. In 1997, Aqua Lung purchased the company.
4. AND1
Seth Berger, Jay Coen Gilbert, and Tom Austin formed the firm in 1993 as a graduate school project collaboration. The firm name was inspired by a term used by the basketball hosts.
The first endeavor of the company was the sale of basketball phrases and trash talk T-shirts. However, the T-shirts became so popular that they reached 1,500 retailers across America before the second year of their release.
In mid-1996, NBA player Stephon Marbury became the company’s first spokesperson. AND1 then released its first pair of basketball sneakers. Following the signing of Marbury, the firm drafted more NBA stars to promote its goods.
The company’s marketing strategy proved successful. By the 2001 season, the firm had surpassed Nike in terms of market share among NBA endorses. It also became the second-largest basketball brand in the United States.
AND1 has changed hands several times this year. The company was bought and sold by American Sporting Goods, Brown Shoes Company, and Galaxy Brands. Following then, the company became a member of Sequential Brands Group, a publicly traded brand management corporation.
3. Amer Sports
Amer Sports is ranked third on our list. It is a Finnish sporting goods firm that was established in 1950. The corporation was founded as a multi-industry conglomerate to diversify tobacco trading, ship owners, and publishing.
After obtaining a majority share in golf supplies, the business established a sports division in 1986. Then, in 1974, Amer purchased the hockey equipment manufacturer and began to enter the sports goods industry.
Similarly, three years later, the corporation received Wison Sporting Goods Company, a major manufacturer of golf clubs, racquets, and other sporting goods.
Slowly, the company grew into an international manufacturer and marketer of sporting equipment. However, the corporation continued to trade in tobacco until 2004.
Amer acquired Austrian ski manufacturer Atomic, Finnish sports tool maker Sunnto, and American baseball and softball firm Demarini over the years. Similarly, the corporation acquired Salomon, an outdoor sports brand, from Adidas.
Arc’teryx, Peak, Precor, Armada, ENVE Composites, Louisville Slugger, DeMarini, and Sports Tracker are all part of the corporation.
Anta Sports has a partnership with Amer Sports.
2. Adidas
Adidas, a German multinational corporation, is ranked second. The company was formed in 1924 and produces shoes, apparel, and accessories. The company was created by Adolf “Adi” Dassler.
He began making sports shoes in his mother’s laundry room after returning from World War I. Later that year, in 1924, his brother Rudolf joined him in the “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.”
The Dassler contributed to the development of sharp running shoes for a variety of athletic events. To increase the quality, they swapped heavy metal spikes for canvas and rubber.
As a result, after US sprinter Jesse Owens donned the boots in the 1936 Summer Olympics, the shoes’ popularity skyrocketed. Owens won four gold medals, and the popularity of Dassler sneakers skyrocketed.
Unfortunately, the brothers divorced, and Adolf created and properly registered the firm as Adidas AG from Adi Dassler. The Franz Beckenbauer tracksuit was the company’s debut piece of clothing, released in 1967.
Similarly, Adidas manufactures and designs apparel for baseball, basketball, cricket, golf, and other sports. Adidas, on the other hand, has traditionally focused on football uniforms.
Adidas is a significant manufacturer of team uniforms for international football teams and clubs. Furthermore, it is Europe’s largest sportswear maker.
1. Nike
Nike, Inc. is the leading sports equipment manufacturer. Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. was established in 1964 as an American international firm. This corporation was founded in 1971 by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman, and it was eventually renamed, Nike.
Initially, the company served as a distributor for Onitsuka Tiger, a Japanese shoe brand. Unfortunately, this association with the brand came to an end in 1971. However, by 1980, Nike had achieved a 50% market share in the United States athletic shoe market.
Nike is one of the world’s largest companies, developing, designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling footwear, apparel, supplies, accessories, and services on a global scale. It also has the “Just Do It” brand and the Swoosh logo.
The organization invests in several high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world. Nike also has partners such as Jordan Brand and Converse.
It also sells its items under its brand. The corporation is the world’s leading provider of athletic shoes and apparel.
It is also a direct manufacturer of sporting goods.
Conclusion
As the range of sporting activities expands, so does the demand for sports goods. These companies supply them all around the world. Furthermore, some of these companies have a long track record.
These companies design and manufacture high-quality products all across the world.
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