It was in 1964 when Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman sealed the deal that forever changed the footwear and sports apparel industry. Along the way, they also had time to renew marketing, popular culture and design, always based on the legendary swoosh and its brand, Nike.
The Nike story begins with the founding of Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. At the time, Phil Knight had just graduated from the University of Oregon, where he was part of the school's track and field team coached by Bill Bowerman, a legendary coach who introduced jogging to the United States. The coach's obsession with improving the performance of running shoes sparked a similar fascination in Knight, and the two eventually formed an unprecedented partnership.
A trip to Japan enabled Knight to present his theories to a group of Japanese businessmen, with whom he signed an agreement to export Onitsuka Tiger shoes to the United States. The success of his initiative gave him the confidence to found his own company together with Bowerman. Blue Ribbon Sports was born.
It began as an import company, but Bill Bowerman gradually brought his expertise to adapt the shoes to American tastes and by 1972 they were producing their own shoes under the name Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Nike and innovation
Since its origins, Nike has been characterized by a constant search for innovation, a mantra for Bill Bowerman that remains with the company five decades later. In its first decade they created the “Waffle” sole, the first Cortez with EVA midsole or Air cushioning.
They thus established a style that was perpetuated in Nike throughout its history, with advances that also managed to create a direct connection with the streets, as was the case in footwear with Air Max or in textiles with its Tech Fleece line.
Nike's innovation also involves changes in production and transportation processes to improve sustainability and the way it communicates with its community through new tools.
Nike, always a trend
Nike has managed to ensure that its creations, focused on sports performance, also have an impact on style to the point of becoming social phenomena. This was the case with the Nike Cortez, which went from races to screens to become a trend, and has been repeated in dozens of models in the brand's history, from the Air Force 1 to the latest Air Max.
Among the silhouettes that have regained their contemporary style, there are models ahead of their time like the SNDR Max, performance shoes rediscovered for city use like the Nike Vomero 5 and Nike Pegasus (in its different versions, Pegasus 2k5, Pegasus Wave…), perfect for the return of the Y2K style, obscure designs like the Nike Spiridon, Humara and Terra Humara or the classic icons of the 2000s, led by the Nike Shox.
Nike in FOOTDISTRICT
At the Nike section at FOOTDISTRICT you can dive into an extensive catalog of limited edition products, iconic models and exclusive items from collaborations with artists, designers and brands. From iconic silhouettes like Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Force 1 and Nike Air Max 97 to must-have apparel and unique accessories, at FOOTDISTRICT you can shop Nike with the confidence of knowing you're in the know with the brand's latest collections and newest releases.
