Group executive board member at Adidas Eric Liedtke acknowledges that the firm has been producing goods in Asia "for years," helping it to keep costs down. He explains, however, that a new business model based on the Speedfactories will allow it to "decentralize" production to regional locations – in this case the US.

“We're fueling design at the ground level of creativity in Brooklyn and reinventing manufacturing with the first adidas Speedfactory in Atlanta," says Liedtke. "This allows us to make products for the consumer, with the consumer, where the consumer lives in real time, unleashing unparalleled creativity and endless opportunities for customization in America."

New customization options brought to consumers will include fit, comfort and look. The facilities will also allow Adidas to source materials and produce goods locally, helping to reduce transport emissions.

Eoin Treacy's view

Automation and full customisation are likely to represent an important part of the future of the garment industry and companies like Adidas and Nike are leading the way for sporting goods. For every person that can wear whatever they wish, there must be ten more that find it difficult to find clothing that fits just right. Customisation together with 3-d scanning will fix that issue and, from speaking with some of the people developing robot seamstresses, it could be with us in as soon as 3 years. 

Adidas is now accelerating higher. A break in the progression of higher reaction lows, currently near €140, would be required to question momentum and signal a peak of more than near-term significance. 

Nike has been trending lower since November but firmed this week above its June low, when it posted an upside weekly key reversal. A sustained move back above the trend mean would signal a return to demand dominance beyond short-term steadying.