Adidas has cautioned that import tariffs imposed during President Donald Trump’s administration could drive up prices in the United States for popular sneakers like the Gazelle and Samba.

These tariffs, part of broader trade tensions—particularly with China—affected a wide range of consumer goods, including footwear.

“Since we currently cannot produce almost any of our products in the US, these higher tariffs will eventually cause higher costs for all our products for the US market,” chief executive Bjorn Gulden said on Tuesday.

Clothing manufacturers have been hit particularly hard by U.S. tariffs, as they often rely on labor from countries like China and Vietnam—nations that faced steep levies during the trade war.

Adidas, while not specifying how much its prices would increase, stated that the tariffs had “put a stop to” an upgrade in its financial outlook.

The Adidas CEO stated that it was “currently impossible to quantify” the cost increases resulting from the tariffs, or to determine their potential impact on consumer demand for Adidas products.

“Given the uncertainty around the negotiations between the US and the different exporting countries, we do not know what the final tariffs will be. Therefore, we cannot make any ‘final’ decisions on what to do,” Gulden added.

Vietnam, now the global hub for athletic shoe manufacturing, has been heavily impacted by U.S. tariffs, which have hit companies like Nike, Puma, and Adidas—each with major production facilities in Southeast Asia.

President Trump introduced the tariffs to encourage reshoring of manufacturing to the U.S., but firms like Adidas argue that the U.S. lacks both the specialized machinery and skilled labor required to produce running shoes domestically.

In a conference call with reporters, Mr. Gulden explained that Adidas took strategic steps to lessen the impact of U.S. tariffs.

He said the company accelerated exports to the U.S. before the tariffs took effect and re-routed products made in China—originally intended for the U.S.—to other markets.

Adidas reported preliminary results showing its profits nearly doubled to €610 million (£519 million) in the first quarter of the year, marking the strongest sales performance for that period in the company’s history.

This growth came despite ongoing challenges from U.S. tariffs, highlighting the brand’s global strength and strategic agility in navigating trade disruptions.

“You could ironically say that not being so dependent on the US now is an advantage for us compared to maybe companies that are more American,” he said, a remark pointing to its rival, Nike.