While the song is not about the sportswear company, the band was often clad in Adidas gear. And while Run–D.M.C. parleyed their Adidas song into an endorsement deal, Korn seemed content to wear the stripes for free.Their allegiance shifted, however, in 1998 when the band signed a six-figure deal to promote Puma, who was looking to make inroads with Korn's demographic: kids who swag out in athletic wear. Some fans saw this as selling out, with the band turning their back on Adidas, but there was very little blowback from the deal, and Korn made no secret that they were cashing in. As part of the deal, Puma used the Korn song " Freak on a Leash " in commercials. The Adidas/Puma rivalry goes way back: Puma was founded by Rudolf Dassler, the brother of Adidas founder Adi Dassler.The Puma deal didn't last long: in 2001, Korn traded their felines for chevrons, signing a deal with Pony, which also had Staind and Limp Bizkit on their roster. Pony even made kilts and custom shoes for Davis to wear on stage.