Once upon a time…

In 1964 Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight made a $500 investment; in 2006 that small investment is now one of the world’s most recognized brands.

Bill Bowerman was a top Olympic Athlete and track coach. Phil Knight was a prodigy of Bill Bowerman’s coaching. Bowerman and Knight both had an uncontrollable passion for athletics. Everyday they would constantly search for ways to improve the controllable’s of athletics. Bowerman became the innovator for the shoes; Knight attacked the financial areas. In 1971 for a small fee of $35, the Swoosh was created by a graphic design student named Carolyn Davidson. However, back then Nike was known as Blue Ribbon Sports. One night, Nike’s first employee Jeff Johnson had a dream about the Greek goddess of victory, ‘Nike.’ The name ‘Nike’ was chosen over ‘Dimension 6′ as the new brand to take athletes to the next level.

American investors were reluctant to invest in the company. Knight then looked overseas. A Tokyo company named Nissho Iwai decided to invest and create a foundation for a future billion-dollar industry. While Knight was busy with the financial aspect, Bowerman was creating a new rubber sole. Using his wife’s waffle iron and some melted rubber; the Nike sole was invented. In 1972 at the National Sporting Goods show in Chicago Nike debuted its new line of footwear. Retailers were very interested and immediately took to buying the new product.

It’s incredible to think what massive brand Nike is after a mere 35 years of being in the business. From the rubber shoe, to the Air Jordan’s, the Lance Armstrong yellow bracelets, Nike I.D and the ipod nano with a memory chip stored in the shoe. The advancements made by Nike have been in giant steps. The future of Nike products has no boundaries, which is comprehendible knowing the famous Nike saying ‘Just do it.’