Adidas Acquires Reebok

NEW YORK In one of the largest deals ever in the athletic footwear and apparel marketplace, Adidas-Salomon today said it would buy Reebok for $3.8 billion.

When completed, the acquisition would give Adidas about 20 percent of the U.S. sports shoe market and put it in a stronger position to challenge category leader Nike.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine two of the most respected and well-known companies in the worldwide sporting goods industry,” Herbert Hainer, Adidas chairman and CEO, said during a conference call.