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As light as 150 grams and fully customized, Adidas crafts boots designed to boost speed and control.
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00:08The 2026 World Cup, the biggest in history, is a celebration for fans.
00:14Thousands are partying in their team's colours, and that makes it a celebration for the equipment
00:18supplies too.
00:20FIFA earns billions in revenue from global merchandising.
00:29Adidas, Nike and Puma profit not only from shirt sales, but also from special World Cup
00:35boots.
00:36The vast majority are manufactured in China, but some of soccer's biggest stars get theirs
00:40custom-made from Germany.
00:44Also coming up today, will Chinese industry soon replace Germany's?
00:49The dark side of quick commerce in India.
00:53And creativity and success, one woman's path to the top.
01:08A boot like this could be the key to a World Cup footballer's success.
01:12Incredibly light and made of innovative synthetic materials, they're customised to fit each
01:18athlete's unique characteristics.
01:21And they're handmade in Germany at the Adidas factory in Bavaria.
01:28I'm really proud when I see Messi playing in his boots.
01:32Global stars like Lionel Messi, Lamine Jamal and Florian Wurz are among those who ordered
01:38their custom-made football boots here for the World Cup.
01:41About one in three World Cup players has a boot deal with Adidas.
01:47Production manager Matthias Lintz shows us around Adidas' custom orthotic workshop.
01:52Individual medical reports and measurements from orthopaedists are recorded in detail.
02:00It needs more volume here on the inside and also on the outside, and that's achieved using
02:05a fitting like this, which adds volume to the strips.
02:09A player might use more than a dozen pairs in a season.
02:13The wear and tear is greater for professionals.
02:18Unfortunately, the old leather football boots are no longer available today.
02:24Modern boots are made of high-tech fibres and often weigh as little as 150 grams.
02:28The reduced weight helps players move faster.
02:32And black ridges help apply spin and cut to the ball.
02:37The World Cup model is this series here.
02:39These are the ones currently in use, the different lines as we call them.
02:43So we have the Predator, we have the F50, the Coppa, and this here is the F50 Evo.
02:48It's particularly special because it's very, very, very light,
02:52which suits the very fast players and helps them squeeze out a few more kilometers an hour.
02:59The Predator and Coppa models are available online for 150 to 250 euros.
03:06At the store, they cost significantly more.
03:10Unlike the 1980s, when you could have any color you liked as long as it was black,
03:14today's boots are available in a variety of hues.
03:20Secured on customized lasts, the boots pass through all stages of production.
03:26With 20 employees, Apex makes around 7,000 pairs of made-in-Germany shoes annually.
03:33And according to the company, it's profitable.
03:37The vast majority of Adidas footwear is manufactured in Asia.
03:41It's the world's second largest sportswear brand, after Nike.
03:45You'll also find custom-made footwear for boxing champions and plenty of football history here.
03:50For Adidas, the factory is a boost to its image.
03:57We also make sure that we represent the brand on screens and in stadiums around the world
04:01by supplying professional athletes with footwear from Germany.
04:06Adidas also offers on-call services when speed is of the essence.
04:11This pair is to be sent express delivery to one of its 350 top athletes.
04:24Adidas makes its mass-market football boots in Asia, including China.
04:29But the days when China was nearly an extension of the West's manufacturing base
04:33due to lower wages are long gone.
04:37China has become a world-leading hub of technology and innovation.
04:41And it's now a serious competitor in key technology
04:45that is of central importance to German industry.
04:54Is German industry being replaced by Chinese companies?
04:59The risk to German industry really is very high
05:02because Germany's key industries are the ones that China has prioritised.
05:07And fair competition is just not possible.
05:12Mechanical engineering, chemicals and cars
05:14are still the bedrock of Germany's exports and general prosperity.
05:19It used to be that China made the cheap stuff
05:22and everyone else made the expensive stuff.
05:24Now China just makes everything.
05:26Will Made in China soon put Made in Germany out of business?
05:33Every week, a mechanical engineering company like this one
05:37goes bust in Germany, unable to keep up with Chinese competition.
05:42China is taking a very clear stance on this
05:45and is strongly promoting the tool-making industry.
05:49As a result, the tool-making sector in China
05:52now has enormous capacities,
05:54despite currently very low utilization rates.
05:59And this is putting significant pressure on Chinese companies
06:02to tap into international markets.
06:06Until 2020, Germany led the world in machinery exports.
06:11Since then, China has taken the top spot.
06:14When it comes to high-quality machinery,
06:17the Germans are still in the lead,
06:19especially when it comes to precision.
06:21But the Chinese are catching up fast.
06:23Take Afming, for example,
06:25a company founded as recently as 2011.
06:29It normally took us two to three years
06:32to upgrade a model.
06:33But now we've shortened the R&D cycle
06:36to between six and 12 months.
06:39Well-trained people on low wages are a big help.
06:43China wants the so-called little giant companies
06:45to dominate their respective fields
06:47on the international stage.
06:51And these companies then receive support
06:53for securing investments
06:55and for acquiring customers.
06:57Larger customers and companies in China
06:59are pressured to buy from precisely these companies.
07:03So there's a tremendous amount of pressure
07:05within the system to ensure
07:06that everyone pursues these strategic interests.
07:10In many areas, this is not an efficient system.
07:13But it is very effective.
07:18The Chinese auto industry
07:20has also received substantial government support.
07:24While German car sales have stagnated for a decade,
07:28Chinese sales have skyrocketed.
07:33BASF's chemical plant,
07:34the largest of its kind in the world,
07:36with a 33,000-strong workforce,
07:38was once a symbol of German dominance in this field.
07:41A sharp rise in energy and climate-related costs in Europe
07:46means that investment has stalled
07:48and we need to invest to keep up with China.
07:52We have a very dense web of red tape,
07:55which also discourages investment here.
07:59The Chinese, on the other hand,
08:01have invested twice as much over the past few decades
08:04as Europe and the United States combined.
08:09Little wonder, then,
08:11that they've overtaken Germany
08:12on the chemical exports front.
08:16Chinese companies often use dumping prices
08:19in the chemical industry and other sectors.
08:22Unfair practices are commonplace,
08:24but taking legal action against them is tricky.
08:29These proceedings are expensive,
08:31so companies have to ask themselves
08:33whether they have a chance of succeeding.
08:35And unfortunately,
08:36the industry's difficult situation
08:38is not improved by an EU commission
08:41that's unable to keep up with the growing demand
08:43for anti-dumping cases.
08:47And what about Germany now?
08:49How can it protect key industries
08:51before they disappear?
08:53One way is the Trump approach.
08:55Tariffs.
08:56Like the ones on electric cars from the EU.
09:01In the case of China,
09:03a key factor is that the government
09:04does not want to be dependent on anyone else,
09:07but is quite happy to see the rest of the world
09:09depend on it.
09:10In other words,
09:11if we don't have a good answer to the question
09:13of what the Chinese are buying from us,
09:15precisely because they are buying less and less,
09:18then this imbalance means
09:19that instruments like tariffs
09:21must be part of the solution,
09:23because otherwise,
09:23this one-sidedness makes competition very difficult.
09:30That could trigger a tariffs war,
09:32and German industry fears that
09:34almost more than it fears
09:35growing competition from the East.
09:37After all,
09:38the Germans are dependent on China.
09:44I don't think a 20% tariff on everything
09:47can be a solution for the chemical industry.
09:49We need those imports.
09:51We have complex supply chains
09:53in the chemical industry.
09:56And so German industrial companies
09:58are looking to the growth market of China
10:00for salvation,
10:02with new plants like BMWs
10:04or that of chemicals giant BASF,
10:07which recently opened
10:08its third largest plant worldwide in China.
10:18E-commerce and online shopping
10:21are also booming in China.
10:24Social media and global content creators
10:27have sparked the worldwide craze
10:29for the cuddly toy Labubu.
10:32Chinese company Popmart
10:34has fueled demand
10:35by releasing Labubus
10:36in so-called blind boxes.
10:39And now it has reopened
10:41the massive Popland theme park
10:43in Beijing.
10:44But is it all just a fad?
10:52This is Popland,
10:54the place where Popmart toys
10:56come to life.
11:00I come here all the time
11:02to interact with all the characters.
11:04I love all of them.
11:06The 40,000 square metre theme park
11:09has reopened
11:10after a year of renovations.
11:14Located in the heart of Beijing,
11:16it features game booths,
11:18mild thrills
11:18and shops selling
11:20limited edition merchandise.
11:21The big draw...
11:26Labubu,
11:27the ugly, cute,
11:28elf-like creature
11:29that turned Popmart
11:31from start-up
11:31to global toy empire,
11:33winning over fans
11:34with its secret
11:35blind box formula
11:36for selling the character.
11:38Labubu's popularity
11:40drove Popmart's stock price
11:41to record highs
11:42last summer.
11:44The company's revenue
11:45almost tripled
11:46to nearly
11:47five and a half billion dollars
11:48last year.
11:50Popmart has ridden
11:51the frenzy
11:52to diversify its business model
11:53and is eyeing
11:54the kind of expansion
11:55that could see it compete
11:57with the likes of Disney.
12:00Popland renovations continue
12:01and plans are in the pipeline
12:03to open additional parks.
12:05There's also a Pop Bakery
12:06dessert brand in the works.
12:08Meanwhile,
12:09the company is partnering
12:10with Sony
12:11to bring Labubu
12:12to the big screen,
12:13though there's no release date
12:14for a movie just yet.
12:16But the toy maker's race
12:17into new categories
12:18is also fueling fears
12:20that the Popmart bubble
12:21could soon, well, pop.
12:24The stock price plunged
12:26by 30% in late March
12:27after Popmart revealed
12:29that Labubu accounts
12:30for nearly half its revenue.
12:32Sales in the US,
12:34its biggest market
12:35outside China,
12:36fell by more than 40%
12:37in March and April.
12:39Analysts say
12:40a Labubu fad
12:41could be fading.
12:42Popmart may need to rely
12:44on its other characters
12:45to find new fans.
12:46I didn't buy Labubu
12:47because it was a big trend
12:50back then,
12:51but it died down now.
12:53I moved to Skull Panda,
12:55so it's not Labubu anymore,
12:57but it's kind of the same
12:59but different.
13:01It smells delicious!
13:03Characters like Skull Panda,
13:05Dimu and Molly
13:06are drawing crowds in China,
13:08but they haven't won over
13:09Western consumers
13:10the same way as Labubu.
13:12Digital marketing expert
13:14Ashley Duda-Renock
13:15has followed the Popmart phenomenon
13:17for the past few years.
13:22In order to become
13:23an international company,
13:24not just a Chinese company,
13:26they need to start
13:27thinking differently.
13:28They need to hire
13:29a different team.
13:30They need to take
13:31Globe into account.
13:32They need to start making
13:33not just stories
13:35more appealing,
13:36but also themselves
13:37as a company
13:38more appealing.
13:38For now,
13:40the fever shows
13:40no sign of cooling,
13:41at least here in Popland.
13:43I won't love
13:45the other characters,
13:46only Labubu.
13:48But turning one viral character
13:50into a lasting
13:51global entertainment brand
13:52may prove more challenging.
13:59Another new phenomenon
14:00has emerged
14:01from the internet.
14:02Quick commerce.
14:03Ultra-fast delivery
14:04within 10 to 30 minutes
14:06of placing an order
14:07is particularly popular
14:08in major cities.
14:09In Delhi and Bangalore,
14:11the quick commerce market
14:12is booming.
14:13Food,
14:15electronics,
14:16cosmetics
14:16and gifts
14:18are all delivered this way.
14:19But some people
14:20are paying a hefty price
14:21for such high-speed service.
14:23The delivery workers themselves,
14:25who are overwhelmed
14:26and underpaid.
14:29From morning to night,
14:31Raj is on the road
14:32in a race against time.
14:34In India's
14:35quick commerce economy,
14:37speed is everything.
14:39Raj is not his real name.
14:41He asked us not
14:42to reveal his identity.
14:43He is 24,
14:45married with two kids,
14:47one of them
14:47in need of surgery.
14:50One of thousands
14:51of delivery riders
14:52across India
14:53and like many
14:54we spoke to,
14:55not happy
14:56with what
14:57and how he earns.
14:59We don't get more
15:00than 30,
15:0135 rupees,
15:02roughly 38 euro cents
15:03for every order.
15:04On top of that,
15:05if a customer misbehaves,
15:06we're told never
15:07to say anything to them.
15:08If they make a false
15:09complaint about
15:09not getting an order,
15:10the amount is deducted
15:12from our earnings.
15:15Quick commerce is now
15:16a 7.1 billion dollar
15:18industry in India,
15:20projected to grow
15:2140% annually
15:22until 2030.
15:24It runs on riders
15:26like Raj
15:26and on a promise
15:27that once defined it
15:29not long back.
15:30Everything delivered
15:32in 10 minutes.
15:34Concerned about safety,
15:35many delivery riders
15:36went on strike
15:37on New Year's Eve.
15:38The government
15:39then asked
15:40the quick commerce companies
15:41to stop advertising
15:42the 10-minute
15:43delivery guarantee.
15:44Since then,
15:45the promise
15:46has largely disappeared
15:47from the marketing
15:48and packaging material,
15:49but not entirely.
15:51This delivery bag
15:52from an order
15:53placed today
15:54that is on 14th
15:55March 2026
15:56still mentions
15:57everything
15:58in 10 minutes.
16:00The pressure
16:01is still there.
16:02It's now built
16:03into incentives
16:04that riders say
16:05are nearly impossible
16:06to hit.
16:08The riders
16:08don't go fast
16:09because they are happy.
16:10They get incentives
16:11for the orders.
16:12They go fast
16:13because the more orders,
16:15the more they earn.
16:16The company doesn't
16:17give us a monthly salary.
16:21Many pay a price for it.
16:23Raj has already had
16:24two accidents
16:25on the job.
16:27Sanjay,
16:28not his real name,
16:29has signed up
16:30with all three
16:31major quick commerce
16:32platforms.
16:33Blinkit,
16:34Swiggy Instamart
16:35and Zepto.
16:37I ride for 17-18 hours
16:39a day
16:40delivering orders
16:40to earn incentives.
16:42I stop just
16:43for 10 minutes
16:43to eat.
16:45On the other side
16:47of this story,
16:48consumer behavior
16:49has shifted,
16:50perhaps permanently.
16:52Quick commerce
16:53platforms now
16:54process over
16:5410 million orders
16:56a day in India,
16:57growing faster
16:58than any other
16:58retail channel.
17:00Convenience
17:01has become
17:01a habit.
17:03earlier we had
17:04to plan
17:05to go to
17:06get our groceries
17:06but now
17:07with quick commerce
17:08things have become
17:09very, very convenient.
17:10You just sit at home,
17:11you order.
17:12Yes, I do land up
17:14ordering
17:15unnecessary things
17:16and spending
17:17much more
17:18than required.
17:19The consumer
17:20is happy.
17:21The industry
17:22is booming.
17:23But,
17:24economist
17:24Santosh Mehrotra
17:25says the foundations
17:26are shakier
17:27than they look.
17:28There's no
17:29back-end disability
17:30insurance.
17:31There's no pension.
17:32And you can
17:33defy it tomorrow.
17:34These are jobs
17:35literally at the
17:36bottom of the
17:38services pyramid.
17:40There's going to be
17:41very rapid burnout
17:42and there'll be
17:43a huge turnover.
17:45Every order placed
17:47adds to an industry
17:48that is only
17:49getting bigger.
17:51For the consumers
17:52it has won over,
17:53there is no
17:54going back.
17:55For riders like
17:56Raj,
17:57the only question
17:58is whether
17:58a booming industry
18:00will ever make
18:01room for the
18:02people holding
18:02it up.
18:08Few women
18:09make it from
18:09the very bottom
18:10to the very top.
18:12Oprah Winfrey
18:13rose to
18:14superstardom
18:14in the US.
18:16Perseverance
18:17and hard work
18:18also propelled
18:19Christina Cook
18:19into space,
18:20while company
18:21support programs
18:22helped Mary Barra
18:23become CEO
18:24of General Motors.
18:25A lot of things
18:27have to fall
18:27into place.
18:28We met a
18:29Vietnamese woman
18:29from a modest
18:30background
18:30who has built
18:31a diverse career
18:32in the creative
18:33arts.
18:35I used to beat
18:36myself up
18:37with the
18:38expectation
18:38for myself.
18:51I was lucky
18:53growing up
18:54with nothing,
18:57so we had
18:58to play
18:58with rocks,
19:00with sticks,
19:01with whatever
19:02we could find
19:03in the backyard.
19:10I guess we
19:11were very
19:12creative
19:13from the
19:14onset.
19:18And always
19:19I noticed
19:21that
19:21if I'm in
19:23a group
19:23I always
19:24know
19:25who's good
19:26at what.
19:31I guess
19:32I apply
19:33the same
19:33thing
19:34in my
19:35current
19:36job.
19:38I'm really
19:39good at
19:39recognizing
19:40talent
19:41and I
19:42always
19:42support
19:43them
19:44wholeheartedly.
19:53My name
19:54is Ha Jo.
19:55I'm a creative
19:55director based
19:56in Ho Chi Minh
19:57City, Vietnam.
19:59I study
20:00graphic design
20:01at the
20:02School of Visual
20:02Arts
20:03Arts in New
20:03York City.
20:04I've been active
20:06in the creative
20:07field in Vietnam
20:08for almost 20 years.
20:14My main role
20:15is creative
20:17director for
20:18that leading
20:19fashion and
20:20lifestyle magazines
20:21in Vietnam.
20:25currently I am
20:27serving as
20:29one of four judges
20:31for Vietnam's
20:32Next Stop
20:32model.
20:36It's a very
20:37popular show.
20:39We
20:40do get a lot
20:42of good models
20:43out of
20:44this competition.
20:45I'm always
20:46on the lookout
20:47for new
20:48talents.
20:52especially new
20:53young, fresh
20:54faces to
20:56feature in
20:57my work.
20:59And some
21:01of the talents
21:01I see from the
21:02show
21:03actually can go
21:04international
21:05so I really
21:06have high hope
21:07for them.
21:09So we want
21:10our voices
21:11from Vietnam
21:12to be heard
21:13and regional
21:15or global
21:15let us be heard.
21:29So it's
21:30never been easy
21:31for me
21:31from the beginning.
21:33That just
21:34kind of motivated
21:35me to work
21:36harder.
21:38I always
21:39try to be
21:40the first one
21:41to arrive
21:43at the office
21:43and the last
21:44one to leave.
21:46That's the
21:47thing I still
21:48tell my
21:49people.
21:51There's no
21:52way you can
21:53go anywhere
21:55without
21:56being hard
21:57working.
22:11during tough
22:12time
22:15I don't
22:15tell people
22:16that I'm
22:17having a
22:17tough time.
22:29I usually
22:30call some
22:31friends
22:31to vent
22:32but not
22:34about
22:34the problems
22:35that I'm
22:36having
22:36or the
22:37tough times
22:37that I'm
22:38going through.
22:44because it's
22:45just you
22:46yourself
22:47who can
22:48solve it
22:48so I don't
22:49want to
22:49give that
22:50burden
22:50onto
22:52other people
22:53because it
22:54can be
22:55infectious.
22:59I used
23:01to beat
23:01myself up
23:02with
23:03the expectation
23:04for myself
23:07but now
23:08when I'm
23:09over 40s
23:11and I
23:12have a
23:13kid
23:13I guess
23:14I'm
23:14getting
23:15easier
23:16on myself
23:17and other
23:18people.
23:27Loneliness
23:28is really
23:29important
23:29for
23:31creativity.
23:36For me
23:37personally
23:37it's when
23:38I want
23:39to hear
23:39my inner
23:40thoughts
23:41and I
23:42want to
23:42be
23:44clearer
23:44in what
23:46I'm
23:46thinking
23:46and that's
23:47important
23:48for me.
23:49But most
23:50of the time
23:51I want
23:51to hear
23:51what other
23:53people are
23:53thinking
23:54what's
23:54their stories
23:55and that's
23:56inspiration
23:57right there.
23:59My son
24:00brought me
24:01great joy.
24:03He's my
24:04greatest
24:04teacher.
24:08I can
24:08see life
24:09in a
24:10really fresh
24:11pair of
24:12eyes
24:12and that's
24:13really
24:14inspirational.
24:22I also
24:24work in
24:25the movie
24:26industry
24:27as a
24:27production
24:27designer.
24:30To see
24:32females
24:33in the
24:35production
24:35side
24:35of
24:36movie
24:36making
24:37especially
24:39in the
24:39leader
24:39role
24:41it's still
24:41a rare
24:42sight.
24:45These
24:45roles
24:46require
24:47a lot
24:48of time
24:49away
24:49from the
24:50family
24:51a lot
24:51of time
24:51traveling
24:52a lot
24:52of time
24:53on the
24:53road.
24:55Somehow
24:56it's not
24:56suitable
24:57for women
24:58who want
24:59to have
25:00both have
25:00a career
25:01and family.
25:02But I
25:03think that
25:03would change.
25:06I think
25:07the goal
25:08for any
25:09young person
25:09is to
25:11be able
25:12to express
25:12yourself
25:14and find
25:15what you
25:15want to
25:16do.
25:17What's that
25:18burning
25:19desire?
25:21I don't
25:22think position
25:23or fame
25:25should be
25:26your goal.
25:26you should
25:28be able
25:28to do
25:28interesting
25:29things
25:29and the
25:31rest
25:31will
25:32come to
25:33you.
25:34So
25:35let's
25:36keep
25:36dreaming.
25:41That's it
25:42for today
25:42at Made.
25:44From
25:44handmade
25:45football
25:45boots
25:46to the
25:46fierce
25:46competition
25:47from China
25:48facing
25:48German
25:48industry.
25:49The hype
25:50surrounding
25:51Labubu.
25:52The hectic
25:54quick commerce
25:54delivery service
25:55in India
25:56and the
25:57career of a
25:58Vietnamese woman
25:58in the
25:59creative industry.
26:00Take care
26:01and see you
26:02next time.
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