Nike's Story: A Look Into Nike's Past

Nike's Story: A Look Into Nike's Past** image courtesy of Nike

Since I posted earlier on several Nike products I thought I would take a moment to research and look into how Nike came to be. I took a look at Nike's Wikipedia page and found out that it was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January of 1964. Wikipedia states that "Bowerman created a training program for adjusting athletes for the high altitude that they would experience at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. This successful program led to his selection as the 1972 Munich Olympic Track and Field head coaching position. Bowerman coached members of teams from Norway, Canada, Australia, and the United States." Wikipedia also states that a man named "Otis Davis, a student athlete whom Bowerman coached at the University of Oregon, who later went on to win two gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Bowerman made the first pair of Nike shoes for him." It also states that these first pair of shoes were made from a waffle iron. "In 1964, Bowerman entered into a handshake agreement with Phil Knight, who had been a miler under him in the 1950s, to start an athletic footwear distribution company called Blue Ribbon Sports, later known as Nike, Inc.." And it has grown ever since.

I stumbled upon an article titled The Nike Story? Just Tell It", by Eric Ransdell, on fastcompany.com. It begins by saying "When most people think of Nike, they think of superstar athletes like Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, and Tiger Woods. When Nike's own employees think of their company...Most people have heard of Nike CEO Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner who turned selling shoes out of his car into a footwear-and-apparel colossus. But few know of Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman, Knight's coach. Yet, inside Nike, those three figures are more relevant to the company's sense of identity than any of its superstar spokespeople. Why? Because Nike has made understanding its heritage an intrinsic part of its corporate culture. Think of this approach as internal branding: The stories that you tell about your past shape your future." I found the full article to be a good read and a look into the story and lifestyle of Nike. To read the full article go to fastcompany.com.