But the situation in the U.S. market is much different.

In 2004, Adidas had just 9 percent of the athletic shoe sales in the United States while Nike commanded 36 percent — in the market, that accounts for half of all the athletic shoes sold in the entire world.

David Carter, president of the Sports Business Group, said the merger can be viewed in two ways: As a challenge to Nike, or an admission by Adidas and Reebok they could never overtake Nike alone despite years of trying.

Either way, Carter said, Nike is likely to respond with the kind of marketing skills that have made it the largest athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer in the world.

"They've seen lot of people come and go, and seen the industry shake out many times," Carter said of Nike. "And every time the industry shakes out they have emerged smarter and stronger."

Nike spokesman Alan Marks declined to comment, other than to repeat what the company has said in the past.

"Our comments have always been that we're following our own game plan," Marks said.

The Nike "swoosh" logo is instantly recognized around the globe, and its stable of celebrity athlete endorsements from superstars such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have helped the company build an enduring image, Carter said.

The Adidas three-stripe logo is familiar but not as closely tied to marquee names, he said.

"For a generation of consumers who have known Nike for being nothing less than their brand, it's their generation's Coca-Cola, burned into their consciousness, burned into an entire generation," Carter said. "The same can't be said for Adidas."

Erich Stamminger, president and CEO of the Adidas brand, has said the German company has no plans to expand its own stable of celebrity athletes, including Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and soccer star David Beckham.

But that strategy may change as Adidas begins to compete for more of the U.S. market, said Ravi Dhar, professor of marketing and co-director of the Center for Customer Insights at the Yale University School of Management.

"Nike has a tremendous amount of brand awareness and brand strength," Dhar said. "But Adidas has a very strong history, too. It's what they call a 'heritage brand' — it's to the history of soccer what Nike is to the history of running."

The acquisition of Reebok could allow Adidas to divide and conquer the two major market segments for athletic shoes and clothing — style and performance, Dhar said.

Reebok could focus on the style segment while Adidas could focus more on performance shoes and equipment to expand its market share with a broader offering of products, he said.

And that could be a major factor in the competition for the U.S. market, where Reebok had outsold Adidas.

"Where Adidas might have trouble getting retail shelf space because they sell less in the United States, now they can ride Reebok's coattails," Dhar said.

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