Adidas vs Fila [Ultimate Battle of Two Apparel Brands]

As a semi-professional footballer, most of my teammates, including myself, use Adidas football cleats on the pitch.

When they change after a match or training and return home, I’ve seen most of them wear Fila shoes. It made me curious about the brands, and I started researching their shoes and series.

I already knew a lot about them, so I didn’t have to work much.

Here, I’ll share the findings with you and provide a detailed comparison between Adidas and Fila.

Let’s begin.

A Short Overview of Adidas and Fila

Adidas and Fila are two sportswear giants that have dominated the athletic apparel sector for decades. Both brands have a rich history, iconic design, innovative technology, and a devoted audience.

Adidas

The monster brand Adidas is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports apparel and footwear.

It was founded in 1949 by the Dassler brothers, Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler.

The name “Adidas” came from the founder’s name. He used his nickname Adi and the first three letters of his family name Das to create the name Adidas.

Since its  beginning, Adidas has introduced many advanced technologies and models like the Stan Smith sneakers, Superstar sneakers, and Gazelle sneakers to reign the world.

Adidas is renowned for its success and performance.

It’s worn by professionals and athletes at world-class levels, including Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and David Beckham.

It also sponsors top clubs like Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich & Juventus, and Germany (DFB), Spain (RFEF), Belgium (RBFA) & Argentina (AFA) national teams.

Fila

Fila is an Italian sportswear company founded in 1911 by the Fila brothers Ettore and Giansevero Fila.

The company was named after the family name of two brothers.

It was originally called “Maglificio Biellese” and produced knitwear for the Italian army.

In 1970, Fila started producing apparel for tennis and other sports. It’s widely popular for creative Sneaker and lifestyle shoe design for casual usage.

For over a century, Fila kept proving its name in every sector.

It also sponsors many athletes and teams, including Björn Borg, Diego Schwartzman, Horacio Zeballo, Jennifer Capriati, and the Italian national tennis team.

In recent years, Adidas and Fila have been working to expand their market in global sportswear.

But is it enough to meet all the customers’ demands? Or will they just focus on a specific sector?

Let’s find out more about the brands and their strategies in a neck-and-neck comparison below.

Head-to-Head Comparison Between Adidas & Fila

In the bustling sportswear world, Adidas and Fila are two big giants. They have long legacies, dedicated followings, and a diverse range of products.

But which stands tall and takes the supreme position? Let’s dive into the key characteristic differences and find the best brands for your usage.

Here are the major differences between Adidas and Fila:

Product Offering

Adidas and Fila have various categories designed for specific targets. Some categories are created for sports, and some for casual use.

Learn more about the product categories of Adidas and Fila from below.

Adidas

Adidas especially focuses on making sports, trainers, and running shoes. They cover a wide range of arena and field sports shoes to use at the professional level.

Here are Adidas’s shoe categories and their use case:

You can get a shoe from Adidas in almost every sector a human can think of.

Fila

Fila might be an older shoe company than Adidas. However, they focus on limited categories of products.

Here is the category list of Fila shoes and their use case:

Fila is more focused on creating shoes for casual and work purposes.

Design & Color Variants

Both Adidas and Fila feature classic, retro, and modern designs. They also offer eye-soothing and eye-catching colors in some variants.

Most Adidas shoes follow standard designs. They look very minimalistic and give a fresh look.

Sneakers, Running, Trainer, Off-Court Basketball, Tennis, Hiking, and Golf category shoes offer regular colors like Black, White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Brown, Grey, etc.

But, On-Court Basketball, Soccer, and Football offers vibrant color and different patterns.

All the shoes feature three stripes on the shoe vamp and quarter area to symbolize the Adidas logo.

On the other hand, Fila offers more modern and unique designs for their shoe category.

Most Sneakers and Boots are bulky in size, and the colors are very deep. They easily catch eyes when walking or running.

In contrast, the Tennis shoes are more minimalistic and have a simpler design.

Fila offers Black, White, Green, Blue, Grey, Yellow, etc colors for the Sneakers, Boots, and Tennis categories.

Work shoes like Steel toe, slip-resistant shoes, and Composite Toe shoes offer good protection and come in a muted color.

The Fila logo is sealed on the lace guard and sometimes on the quarter area.

By appearance and aesthetics, Adidas has a much simpler and refined design. Meanwhile, Fila has a more modern and fashionable outlook.

Material Quality

Shoe material is very important to get the best output and comfort. Different types of materials are used in the upper, midsole, and outsole to serve distinct purposes.

For Example,

Adidas uses synthetic fabrics, mesh, leather, and knit materials like Primeknit for the upper.

The upper materials are durable and extremely breathable.

Adidas uses EVA, Lightstrike, Lightstrike Pro, BOOST, and Light BOOST for support and holding shank for their midsole.

For the outsole Adidas uses Rubber, Continental Rubber, and Adiwear for the outsole. Football and soccer boots use firm-ground cleats on the external side.

I use Adidas Ultraboost Light for my everyday running. It gives a premium appearance and a comfortable feeling in my regular exercise.

On the other hand, Fila uses synthetic leather, mesh, textile, and leather for the upper material.

The midsole is mainly made out of EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate).

Fila uses Rubber, Molded Rubber, Carbon Rubber, and High-Abrasion Rubber material for the outsole.

My Fila Tactik 5 Impulse feels very good. But the comfort is not up to Adidas’ level.

Size & Weight Comparison

Most Adidas and Fila shoes run true to size. No matter which region or country you are in, it will fit perfectly on your feet.

But, if you want a tight fit in Adidas shoes, purchase a one-size-smaller variant. For the loose fit, buy a one-size-larger version.

Similarly, Fila uses the standard sizing for men’s and women’s shoes.

Here are the shoe size charts of Adidas and Fila:

Adidas Men and Women Shoe Size Chart:

Fila Men Shoe Size Chart:

Fila Women Shoe Size Chart

Adidas shoes are minimalistic and lightweight. Various advanced technologies have helped to reduce the weight from the upper and sole.

On the other hand, Fila shoes are bulky and weigh more compared to similar Adidas shoes.

Technology & Innovation

Adidas is a big shot in the shoe industry and a leader in sportswear. They continuously work on ideas and invent new technologies to improve performance, comfort, and sustainability.

BOOST is a groundbreaking foam technology that compresses the energy and returns with each stride. Ultraboost and Solarboost are top series powered by this technology.

Adidas uses PrimeKnit and PrimeKnit 360 as the upper to give comfort and breathability.

The 4D midsole is another fantastic invention of Adidas. It’s made with a 3D-printed midsole and PrimeKnit upper to give the best result in running shoes.

Lightstrike and Lightstrike Pro are fabulous additions to Adidas shoes for providing comfort and performance.

On the other hand, Fila also uses various technologies for their shoe lineup.

The Nanobionic RE-3 is the latest innovation of Fila. It’s a mineral infused fabric that absorbs body heat and converts it into infrared energy.

Anti-Odor is another creation of Fila that reduces the development of bacteria in your shoes.

In addition, Breathable Quarter and Energized Rubber are widely used technology by Fila.

Both Adidas and Fila are expanding their resources for technological improvement. But it’s Adidas who are ahead in this innovation race.

Fit & Comfort

Perfect fit and comfort depend on the specific purpose.

For example, sneakers are usually made for comfort. Conversely, soccer or football boots are designed for performance.

A similar story happens with Adidas and Fila.

Both brands have casual and sportswear collections for men and women.

The boot may not give you the best comfort, but it will fit you perfectly. Performance is all that matters most in competitive sports.

Fila doesn’t produce shoes for soccer or football. On the other hand, Adidas is popular for its best performance.

Fit and compare is easily comparable in the casual section. Both brands are renowned for their casual series.

Recently, I bought the X_PLRBOOST shoes to use as my daily sneakers.

The cushioning on the inside is very comfortable. The snug fit holds my feet in place very nicely.

But the game-changing comfort comes from the sole.

The bouncy hybrid cushioned outsole and BOOST midsole gives high energy return and total support when walking or standing for long periods.

My partner and I used the Fila Disruptor 2 for years. But I switched to Tactik 5 Impulse just two months ago.

Disruptor 2 has sufficient cushioning, but the Tactik 5 Impulse feels much better.

The breathable polyester upper and synthetic rubber outsole give a very good fit and comfort. The cushioning is excellent, and the shoe has a very nice heel support.

Both brands have tons of products, and they fit or give comfort differently. So, a direct comparison is very difficult in this case.

But in my experience, the Adidas shoes feel more comfortable to wear and fit perfectly on my feet.

Durability & Performance

Fila footwear mostly looks similar to designer shoes. They aren’t the best in terms of durability and performance.

But they are incredibly good enough at an affordable price point.

The upper, midsole, and outsole will easily last over two hundred miles. But it will significantly affect the performance.

Most Fila shoes have a traditional lug pattern. They look gorgeous from the side angle but don’t perform similarly on the road, track, or offroad.

The patterns aren’t engineered enough for the best traction or support in crucial situations.

But for Adidas, the case is entirely different.

All the shoes are incredibly durable and easily last over 300 miles. The upper, midsole, and outsole stay in perfect shape after heavy and day-to-day use.

Adidas designs and makes shoes by keeping a specific purpose in mind.

For example, casual sneakers have rubber outsoles for better grip on a flat surface, sports boots have spikes under the outsole, and hiking shoes have directional lugs.

Adidas shoes are extremely performance-oriented and widely used in world-class professional sports.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi won the FIFA World Cup 2022 wearing the Adidas X Speedportal Leyenda.

Real Madrid and German Midfielder Tony Kroos won the 2016 UEFA Champions League wearing the Adidas Adipure 11Pro. He considers the shoe as his Lucky boots and wears it in every final match.

There are many stories like this, and it proves the durability and top-notch performance of Adidas shoes.

Price Range

Both Adidas and Fila have a wide range of products. The price starts from a couple of bucks to a couple of hundred dollars.

Slides are the lowest-priced products in the Adidas store. They usually start from around $25.

The sneaker costs around $100 – $300. Sportswear is priced around $200 – $300. And some Adidas Original models may cost more than $400.

Comparatively, the product price of Fila is more affordable than Adidas.

Slippers generally cost you around $40. Sneakers and high boots can easily be found from around $60 to $150.

Some Fila basketball shoes may cost you up to $220.

All the price tags are from the official store. However, the retail price may vary slightly depending on the models and categories.

Also, you can often get discounts on some shoes, which will significantly reduce the price and increase the value.

Brand Ranking

Adidas and Fila are well-recognized names in apparel brands. However, Adidas comes in at the top of the list of most valuable brands.

Adidas is currently ranked #51 in Forbes World’s Most Valuable Brand 2023 list. Unfortunately, Fila isn’t ranked in the top 100 list.

According to the Apparel 50 ranking, Adidas is #5, and Fila is #35.

Collaborations/Partnership

Sponsors or partnerships don’t always determine the quality and performance of a brand.

But, it creates a craze between the customers and increases the share or market value of the company.

Fila is focused on the sports section, and it is reflected in their collaborations or partnerships.

They collaborated with American NBA player Grant Hill, Tennis player Karolína Plíšková, Reilly Opelka, Robin Montgomery, Diego Schwartzman, and Anna Leigh Waters.

On the other hand, the collaboration list of Adidas is very long.

Adidas has collaborated with music stars like Bad Bunny and Pharrell Williams.

However, the most influential collaborations done by Adidas are in sportswear.

They partner with football superstars like Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Paulo Dybala, Sergio Ramos, Mohamed Salah, and so on.

After winning the record 8th Ballon d’Or, Adidas presented World Cup winner Lionel Messi with the X Crazyfast.1 Messi “El Ocho” shoes.

Pros & Cons of Adidas & Fila

Adidas and Fila have proved their names in the footwear. But they aren’t free from advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s see the pros and cons of Adidas and File from below:

Adidas

Fila

Adidas Vs Fila: Which Should You Choose?

When it comes to choosing a brand between Adidas and Fila, there’s no doubt who is winning.

Adidas is clearly the winner for their quality, product variety, durability, and performance.

But, if you are looking for a bulky, unique, colorful, and most importantly affordable shoe, Fila will be a better choice.

It’s cheap and provides more value-for-money options. Fila shoes are suitable for casual, basketball, and tennis purposes.

However, if you are a soccer or football player and love working out, running, golfing, or hiking, Adidas is undoubtedly the better choice.

Adidas might be a slightly pricey option here, but it’s the best for regular and professional usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FILA bigger than Adidas?

No, Fila isn’t bigger than Adidas in global values. Adidas is ranked 51st according to Forbes, and Fila isn’t listed among the top 100 brands.

Is the FILA brand good?

Yes, Fila is a good and well-known brand. They usually make casual, tennis, and basketball shoes. They are famous for their affordability and unique design.

Is Adidas better than Fila?

Yes, Adidas is a top brand in casual and sportswear. They have advanced technology and excellent materials, which makes them better than Fila.