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The dream begins
Former Oregon Duck track star Phillip Knight and coach Bill Bowerman start "Blue Ribbon Sports" a distributor of the Japanese shoe "Onitsuka Tiger". The company began selling thier products out of the back of Knight's car. After a year of business BRS sells over 1,000 pairs of shoes and racks up $20,000 in sales. Two years after starting the business Blue Ribbon Sports store opened thier first retail store in Santa Monica, CA. -
Nike is born!
In 1971 Blue Ribbon Sports parted ways with thier Japanese partner to create "Nike". On June 18, 1971 Caroline Davidson created a logo and used thier iconic swoosh logo. The first pair of Nike shoes entitled "Moon Shoes" is distributed at the US Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. The waffle sole design allowed athletes to perform with more traction and at a lighter speed. This design seperated Nike from other track shoes at the time. -
Nike "Waffle Trainer" scores big with fans
Nike's first commercially released sneaker the "Waffle Trainer" becomes the number one sneaker sold in the U.S. -
Air Force 1 takes flight!
Designer Bruce Kilgore collaborates with Nike to create "The Nike Air Force 1", the first basketball shoe designed by the company. The sneaker quickly becomes a huge success among athletes and youth everywhere. This is still one of Nike's best selling and historical products ever released. -
Air Jordan changes the game
In 1984 Michael Jordan signs a contract with Nike and the Air Jordan 1 is introduced. The shoe that is designed for Jordan is initially banned by the NBA for the red & black colors. A year later it is made available to the public and the infamous Air Jordan brand is born! This is one of the most revolutionary moments in the company's history and trancends into something bigger than shoes. Culture in America is changed by hip-hop music and a new fashion sense built around Air Jordan. -
Nike reaches 1 Billion!
Nike sales by 1987 reach over 1 billion dollars for the first time in company history. (One of the original Nike track shoes developed) -
Nike finds Bo
Super-star athlete Bo Jackson signs a deal with Nike and launches a new campaign entitled "Bo Knows". The football and baseball phenom helps promote a new type of sneaker in a category overlooked thus far in the company's existence, cross-training. The "Bo Knows" ad is still one of Nike's most popular promotions and helped generate the now popular cross-training department of Nike. -
Nike skates!
Nike launches "Nike SB", a new line dedicated to skateboarding shoes and apparell. The new division of Nike sparks great controversy in the skateboarding world calling them "too commercial" among other skateboard companies. Nike SB would later start sponsoring teams and designing signature sneakers for skaters like Paul Rodriguez. The first skate shoe made by Nike was the "SB Dunk", a new take on the original Nike Dunk. -
Nike goes to space!
Nike begins work on and releases the "Nike Lunar" using NASA developed technology that allows for the best comfort and durability. Compared to putting your foot in a marshmallow the new technology quickly caught on and is a staple in almost every Nike shoe to date. -
Nike today
Nike is a multi billion dollar jugernaut that sponsors athletes, teams, sports leagues, camps, and even the NFL. The company is known world wide and produces a good amount of shoes worn in all sports today. Nike has taken thier business to a whole new level. It is unclear what Nike has planned for us in the future, but one thing is for sure they have come a long way from selling shoes out of a car trunk at track meets.
