Adidas shares slide record 17% as profit miss taints sales upgrade

As the popularity of its Samba and Gazelle sneakers gradually fades, investors are hoping the visibility from the World Cup will help Adidas maintain its sales momentum as it rolls out new styles and seeks to stay ahead of competitors such as U.S. rival Nike.

"The growth related to the World Cup was (...) accelerated by our strategy of increasing product availability in the interest of our consumers and retail partners versus optimising inventories," CEO Bjorn Gulden said in a statement.

Adidas sponsored a total of 14 national teams in the June FIFA World Cup, including finalists Argentina and Spain.

Foot traffic at Adidas retail stores in the U.S. spiked 44.7% on the year in the week of June 15, the first full week of World Cup group-stage action, according to a report by Placer.ai, a company that gathers foot traffic data.