On 25 January 1964, exactly 60 years ago, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports, a company that years later grew into a billion-dollar business under the name Nike. What started as reselling sneakers from Japan grew into the biggest name in sports, sneakers and lifestyle.
Phil Knight
Phil Knight, born and raised in Oregon, America, started the Blue Ribbon Sports brand with former coach Bill Bowermann exactly 60 years ago. After graduating from University of Oregon and Stanford Graduate School of Business, Knight wondered what he wanted to do with his papers.
During his time at the University of Oregon, Knight was a professional runner under the coaching of Bill Bowerman. In addition to running multiple records, Knight and Bowerman had founded their own running team called 'Athletics West'. Being a big sports fanatic, Knight wanted to do more with this and, after selling his car and borrowing money from his father, left for Japan to buy sports shoes.
Blue Ribbon Sports
After a long tour of Asia, with a brief stop in Hawaii, Knight arrived at the headquarters of Onitsuka, now known as ASICS. Here, Knight pitched his idea under the name 'Blue Ribbon Sports' and struck a deal to resell the Onitsuka Tiger Limber Up in the United States. After the first dozen were delivered in Oregon, Knight took them to Bowerman for advice.
Today, exactly 60 years ago, this lunch between Knight and Bowerman resulted in the official launch of Blue Ribbon Sports. Bowerman became Knight's business partner and stepped into the company under a fifty-fifty contract. Bowerman had coached several Olympic runners at the time and, according to Knight, with his knowledge and experience, was the right person for a partnership.
Twelve years later, the company got its current name; Nike. The name was inspired by the Greek goddess Nike, symbolising victory. In 1971, the Swoosh was designed by a student named Carolyn Davidson. The logo is the world's most recognisable logo, according to Mark Hughes, author of The Independent.
Exactly 60 years after its founding, the Swoosh Brand is more relevant than ever before. What started with the sale of Onitsuka sneakers has grown into the largest sneaker and sportswear brand in the world. Successful lines like the Jordan Brand and iconic sneaker designs like the Air Max 1, Air Force 1 and many more make Nike the biggest player in the world of sneakers and sports to this day.
Shoedog
Should you be interested in the whole story of Phil Knight and the founding of Nike, read the book 'Shoe Dog', written by Phil Knight himself. The book is available from various partners, including the Dutch retailer Bol.com. Please make sure to check their website for shipping info to other countries.
Should you be interested in more articles like this, take a look at the Sneakerjagers news page. Curious about Nike's most popular designs? Check out the current Nike collection here.