Nike
US giant Nike is the world’s biggest sportswear company. Born of a partnership between Phil Knight and his former track coach at the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman, the company started out as the US distributor of sports shoes manufactured by Japan’s Onitsuka Company (now ASICS). After striking out on its own as the Onitsuka relationship soured, Nike came to dominate basketball, athletics, tennis, and football, and later became a major player in soccer, skateboarding, and even golf. In the ’80s, through a combination of key sneaker models, including Michael Jordan’s signature shoes, important pop culture moments, and genius advertising, Nike became as big a lifestyle brand as it is a sportswear colossus.
WHAT IS NIKE?
Nike is a multinational American brand manufacturing and selling sneakers, sports apparel, and accessories. Nike is the world’s leading sportswear manufacturer, making $21 billion in 2021 in profits alone.
WHEN WAS NIKE FOUNDED?
Nike was founded on January 25, 1964, in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
WHO FOUNDED NIKE?
Phil Knight, full name Philip Hampson Knight — American businessman who founded Nike at 26 in his parent’s garage; the company was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports.
WHO OWNS NIKE?
Even though Nike is a publicly traded company, the swoosh logo brand is owned by its original co-founder Phil Knight and his son Travis Knight who own 97% of outstanding shares and the holding companies.
WHERE TO BUY NIKE SHOES?
Nike releases many of its premium and limited shoes through its SNKRS app (iOS, Android) and at Nike.com. The company has over 1000 stand-alone Nike retail stores worldwide and thousands of franchises. In addition, Nike shoes are available at practically every reputable footwear retailer, from major chains such as Foot Locker to specialist sneaker and streetwear boutiques.
Online and physical retailers that get limited and special edition Nike sneakers include Highsnobiety favorites KITH, Solebox, Sneakersnstuff, Livestock, and END. Clothing, Caliroots, Slam Jam, Browns, SSENSE, and MR PORTER. On the aftermarket, you can cop some resale Nike sneakers at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and Grailed.
WHAT ARE THE BEST NIKE SNEAKERS?
Nike releases many of its premium and limited shoes through its SNKRS app (iOS, Android) and at Nike.com. The company has over 1000 stand-alone Nike retail stores worldwide and thousands of franchises. In addition, Nike shoes are available at practically every reputable footwear retailer, from major chains such as Foot Locker to specialist sneaker and streetwear boutiques.
Online and physical retailers that get limited and special edition Nike sneakers include Highsnobiety favorites KITH, Solebox, Sneakersnstuff, Livestock, and END. Clothing, Caliroots, Slam Jam, Browns, SSENSE, and MR PORTER. On the aftermarket, you can cop some resale Nike sneakers at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and Grailed.
DO CLASSIC NIKE SHOES EVER GO ON SALE?
Contrary to myth-making, even the fabled Nike Air Jordan 1 ended up on sales racks after Nike reportedly overshot production. Nike’s most popular limited models and collaborations might sell out quickly. Still, older, less popular models and shoes produced in too-large batches will find their way to clearance to make way for new releases.
And as the story of the OG Air Jordan 1 and its unloved 1994 retro shows, just because a shoe ends up on sale doesn’t mean it won’t be considered a grail later. Nike.com always has a notable collection of sneakers on sale.
WHERE DO I GO TO FIND NEW NIKES?
Nike maintains a release launch calendar on its website and Nike SNKRS app. Likewise, the websites of retailers such as Sneakersnstuff, Caliroots, and END. Clothing all have release calendars featuring the most significant upcoming drops.
If you’re looking for an app to track upcoming releases beyond Nike’s official channels, our guide to the best sneaker apps recommends Eastbay (iOS, Android), with honorable mentions to Unlaced (iOS) and resale app GOAT (iOS, Android). And if you’re looking for news about new Nikes, look no further than Highsnobiety (and Nike.com).
HOW MUCH IS THE NIKE LOGO WORTH?
By now, the logo is worth billions of dollars – one of the most recognizable brand logos worldwide. Caroline Davidson designed the iconic Nike swoosh in 1971; the graphic design student was paid a mere $35 for her work.
WHERE ARE NIKE SHOES MADE?
Although Nike used to produce in the US, much like other prominent brands, most Nike sneakers are now made in China. There are reportedly over 72 factories in China, which makes up a 15% share of all Nike factories, where around 30 styles of shoes are produced. However, the brand still has some US factories, accounting for about 6% of all factories worldwide.
DO NIKE DUNKS RUN BIG OR SMALL?
Nike Dunks tend to run true to the size, not big or not too small. Browsing through Reddit forums and sneaker blogs, the general consensus seems that Nike Dunks generally come in the perfect size. However, they can sometimes feel narrow due to slight differences in feet width and length. As this can still vary, it might be necessary to go half-size up or down.
DOES NIKE OWN CONVERSE?
Yes, Nike owns Converse – Nike acquired Converse in 2003.
WHERE CAN I BUY NIKE?
You can buy Nike directly at Nike’s online shop.
1911
Bill Bowerman is born in Portland, Oregon on February 19. He becomes track and field coach at his alma mater, the University of Oregon, in 1948.
1938
Phil Knight is born in Portland, Oregon on February 24. In 1955, he enrolls at the University of Oregon to study journalism, following in his newspaper publisher father’s footsteps.
He runs track under Bowerman and graduates in 1959. After a year in the army, he goes to grad school at Stanford, getting a master’s in business administration in 1962.
After Stanford, he sets off on a round-the-world trip and in Kobe, Japan strikes an agreement to distribute the Tiger-branded running shoes of Onitsuka Company (later ASICS) in the US, introducing them to former coach Bowerman upon his return.
1960S
Knight and Bowerman found Blue Ribbon Sports on January 25 to sell Onitsuka’s Tiger shoes in the US. The company is founded with $1,200 in the bank. Bowerman writes to Onitsuka proposing that he submit his own ideas for new running shoes.
Onitsuka and Bowerman develop the TG-24 running shoe, which is renamed the TG-24 Mexico to mark the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
It then becomes the TG-24 Aztec, but an adidas lawsuit prompts another change. Finally, it is named the Cortez.
1970S
The Blue Ribbon Sports-Onitsuka relationship comes under strain, with Onitsuka reportedly attempting a company takeover and soliciting new US distributors.
Blue Ribbon registers the Nike brand on May 30, taking the name from the Greek goddess of victory. Student Carolyn Davidson designs the brand’s logo, the Swoosh, getting paid $35 for her work.
Nike releases a Swoosh-emblazoned version of the Cortez. Onitsuka cuts its supply of Tiger-branded shoes. Some stores stock both the Tiger Cortez and the Nike Cortez. Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase becomes the first athlete to sign a Nike endorsement.
Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka sue each other over the rights to the Cortez, among other things. Nike releases the Blazer basketball shoe, named after the Portland Trail Blazers. The brand also signs US running star Steve Prefontaine, who tragically dies in a car wreck two years later. The company comes to dominate track and field in the US, later sponsoring Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Michael Johnson.
In April, Judge James Burns awards damages to Blue Ribbon Sports (settled on appeal in 1975) and rules that only the American company has the right to sell under the trademarked “Cortez” name, although both companies can use the same design. Onitsuka later launches the renamed Corsair. Nike releases the Waffle Trainer, featuring the patented waffle sole conceived a few years earlier when Bowerman reportedly poured rubber into his wife’s waffle maker.
Blue Ribbon Sports officially becomes Nike, Inc. The brand signs US tennis enfant terrible John McEnroe, Nike’s first in a line of US tennis icons, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Serena Williams. Nike also sponsors Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as they dominate men’s tennis in the first two decades of the 21st century.
Nike fully releases the Air Tailwind, its first model to feature the Air cushioning tech brought to the company by aerospace engineer Marion Frank Rudy in 1977. The model had a limited Hawaiian release in 1978 after debuting in the Honalulu Marathon. The first Nike apparel comes out, including the Windrunner jacket.
1980S
Nike releases the Shark, the first football cleat designed for both turf and grass. The brand’s first football shoe was 1971’s “The Nike,” which could be used for both football and soccer. In December, the company goes public.
Nike releases the Air Pegasus. The Pegasus range remains one of Nike’s key running lines today.Nike releases the Air Force 1, its first basketball shoe with Air cushioning tech. It is nearly discontinued in 1984 before becoming one of the bestselling sneakers ever.
Nike signs Michael Jordan. The basketball prodigy had worn Converse at the University of North Carolina and wanted a deal with adidas, but Nike pulls out all the stops, offering a record $2.5 million over five years plus stock options. Jordan starts his debut season at the Chicago Bulls wearing the Air Ship basketball shoe, falling foul of the NBA’s footwear color rules for wearing a red and black model in a preseason game.
Nike releases the Air Jordan 1. The Peter Moore-designed shoe’s “banned” ad campaign is inspired by the NBA’s warning not to break its “uniformity of uniform” rules. There have been dozens of Air Jordan models since, the most important of which include the Air Jordan 2 (1986) and Tinker Hatfield’s Air Jordan 3 (1988), Air Jordan 4 (1989), and Air Jordan 11 (1995). Similar basketball model the Dunk is also released in 1985. Its college team colorways are promoted through the “Be True to Your School” ad campaign. Another basketball sneaker, the Terminator, comes out in Georgetown Hoyas colors.
Tinker Hatfield’s Nike Mag appears in Back to the Future Part II. Nike launches the ACG (All Conditions Gear) line.
1990S
The first NikeTown store opens in Portland, Oregon.
In 1991, Nike ACG releases Tinker Hatfield’s Air Mowabb, arguably the outdoor line’s most celebrated shoe. Another ACG classic, the Air Revaderchi, follows in 1992. Also in 1991, Nike releases Hatfield’s Air Huarache running shoe, following it up a year later with the Air Flight Huarache basketball shoe.
Nike signs women’s soccer prodigy Mia Hamm, its first endorsement of a female player.
Nike signs a five-year licensing deal with the NFL worth $200 million, although it doesn’t produce uniforms for all teams due to individual licensing agreements. After Reebok strikes an exclusive apparel deal worth $250 million from 2001 to 2011, Nike wins the contract back for five years from 2012 in a deal worth a reported $1.1 billion. That deal gets extended twice and will run until 2028. Also in 1995, Nike introduces its Zoom Air cushioning tech and launches the Uptempo line of basketball shoes.
Nike signs golf prodigy Tiger Woods, who goes on to dominate a sport previously seen as for older white men. The company also signs a record 10-year deal to outfit the Brazilian national soccer team, adding young star striker Ronaldo to its roster. This completes a two-year pursuit by Phil Knight and marks a redoubling of Nike’s efforts in the sport. The US women’s and Nigerian men’s national teams, both signed by Nike in 1994, take Olympic soccer gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Nike releases the Air Foamposite One basketball shoe.
2000S
Nike releases the Air Presto running shoe and debuts its Shox line. The brand also collaborates with Stüssy for the first time, releasing a joint Air Huarache.
Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara works with Nike for the first time, releasing the “Monotone” pack as part of the Swoosh’s Concept Japan (Co.Jp) project. In 2002, Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker (later named CEO in 2006) form the HTM design project, which pioneers the Flyknit tech that debuts on 2012’s Flyknit Trainer.
Nike launches its SB skateboarding division, leading to the resurgence of the Dunk as a collectable and collaborative model in countless themed colorways. The biggest collaborative Nike SB Dunks include 2002’s “Supreme” (Nike’s first collaboration with Supreme), Jeff Staples’ “Pigeon,” whose 2005 NYC launch leads to rioting, and Diamond Supply Co.’s 2005 “Tiffany.” Nike SB goes on to sign pro skateboarders Paul Rodriguez, Eric Kosten, and Stefan Janoski, giving each a signature model. Also in 2002, Nike buys surfwear label Hurley.
Nike buys Converse for $305 million. In sports, the brand signs LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who had left adidas a year earlier, on a four-year $40 million deal. It also picks up teenage sensations LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both sign lifetime Nike deals in 2016 worth a reported $1 billion, joining Michael Jordan, who signs for life in 2015.
Nike releases the Air Yeezy, its debut collaboration with Kanye West. The Air Yeezy 2 follows in 2012 before West jumps ship to adidas in 2013. The Swoosh also collaborates with Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER for the first time, leading to the launch of the Japanese designer’s Gyakusou running line in 2010.
2012
Nike releases the Air Foamposite One “Galaxy.” After riots at its launch, the shoe generates astronomical resale prices.
2014
Nike launches NikeLab, a sub-line for its most forward-thinking and innovative collaborations.
As well as Jun Takahashi’s Gyakusou, NikeLab is also home to the relaunched ACG line under ACRONYM designer Errolson Hugh, whose partnership with the brand lasts from 2014 to 2018.
The brand also debuts its annual Air Max Day celebration.
2015
Nike signs an eight-year deal worth a reported $1 billion to outfit the NBA from the 2017-18 season. The brand also collaborates with Chitose Abe’s label sacai for the first time.
2017
Nike partners with OFF-WHITE’s Virgil Abloh on “The Ten,” a collection of classic sneaker models reimagined by the designer. The partnership continues with additional sneakers in 2018 and 2019.
The brand signs Kendrick Lamar away from Reebok, with the rapper dropping a series of Cortez collaborations.
Nike also debuts collaborations with Skepta and A-COLD-WALL*, and celebrates the Air Force 1 with the AF-100 collection designed by Virgil Abloh, Don C, Travis Scott, and others. Scott later continues collaborating with the brand.
2018
Nike launches a new “Just Do It” ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback-turned-activist whose football career had essentially been ended after his kneeling protests against racial injustice during the pre-game national anthem. The brand had reportedly come close to dropping Kaepernick in 2017 and the advert became controversial in a politically polarized US.
Elsewhere, Nike releases the React Element 87 sneaker, utilizing the React cushioning tech debuted in 2017 on a Hyperdunk basketball model, and launches its MMW collaboration with 1017 ALYX 9SM’s Matthew Williams.
2019
In October, John Donahoe was appointed as the new CEO of Nike, succeeding Mark Parker in January 2020.
Nike cut ties with Amazon due to so many fake products on the platform and announced a focus on direct-to-consumer business and their own website.
Announced in 2018, the Nike share buyback program started in 2019 upon completion of the previous program.
In July 2019, a pair of Nike running shoes sold for $437,500 at a Sotheby’s auction – “Moon Shoes” designed by Bill Bowerman for the 1972 Olympics.
2020
The Jumpman replaced the swoosh on the NBA’s “Statement” uniforms.
Nike temporarily shuttered stores due to the Covid-19 pandemic and announced plans for further e-commerce development.
2021
American rapper Lil Nas X MSCHF released customized Nike Air Max 97s – “Satan Shoes.” As a result, Nike sued MSCHF for infringement, as it was reportedly launched without Nike’s permission.
Nike suspended South African athlete Oscar Pistorius’ endorsement.
In December, Nike bought RTFKT Studios – announcing a focus on virtual shoes.
Nike acquired a machine learning company Datalogue.
2022
Jacquemus and Nike collaborate for the first time, bringing back the Humara model.
The brand reveals its first RTFKT studios NFT Nike crypto kicks – Nike Dunk Genesis.
Nike announces old and new football star in its iconic World Cup ad ahead of the FIFA 2022 competition, from Ronaldinho to Mbappe.
Once again, Tom Sachs and Nike team up on an all-purpose Nikecraft shoe.
The sports giant revives its retro classic Nike Air Rift, a cult Nike sneaker style from the late 90s.
