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Nike got its name from the Greek goddess of victory, and the company's logo, the "Swoosh," is inspired by one of the goddess Nike's wings. This symbolizes a winning mentality and is also shaped like a checkmark, indicating fluid movement and speed. Nike's founders wanted to create a sports brand with Nike shoes that represented victory and performance, and their choice of name and logo has certainly helped cement this identity in people's minds to this day.
Nike was founded in the USA in 1964 under the name Blue Ribbon Sports by university runner Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman. The two started by distributing the Japanese sneaker brand Onitsuka Tiger, but Bowerman's innovative idea to use his wife's waffle iron to create grooved soles for running shoes led the company to launch its own product line in 1971. That same year, BRS changed its name to Nike, and the logo 'The Swoosh' for their Nike Shoes was created by the young graphic designer Carolyn Davidson.
Before the Nike Dunk / Nike Dunk Low era, it was other models that ruled the scene. During the 1972 Olympic Games, Nike introduced the iconic running shoe, Nike Cortez for men and women, which made the brand world famous. The shoes reduced injuries and caught the eye with a youthful modern design embraced by athletes as well as many celebrities. From Farrah Fawcett in Charlie's Angels to Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl and Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, the Cortez Nike Shoes have been a symbol of both athletic performance and style.
Today, the Nike Cortez model is an iconic sign of Nike's success and history, even though the model is no longer mainstream – however, Retro models tend to resurface years after the original release....
In the 80s, Nike was embraced by hip-hop culture, and in 1984 the brand hit gold with the first Air Jordan sneaker, designed for basketball star Michael Jordan. Nike Jordan shoes became some of the most popular Nike sneakers, still released in limited edition designs and traded for staggering sums on auction sites. The 80s were also the decade when Nike's brilliant slogan "Just Do It" was invented by advertiser Dan Wieden, inspired by the famous American serial killer Gary Gilmore's last words before his death sentence; "Let's do it"! Today, the slogan is probably one of the most popular and recognized in the world.
With such an iconic logo as Nike's on, for example, the Nike Air Force 1 (which by the way is a shoe that REALLY made it big), one would think a large, reputable graphic company was behind it and that Nike paid a fortune to have its logo designed. But it turns out that's not the case. Back in 1971, Nike paid only a mere 35 dollars (about 230 DKK) for its logo. Nike's iconic logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson, who in 1971 was studying graphic design at Portland State University in the USA. Carolyn Davidson doesn't remember how long it took her to design the logo, but she invoiced for 17.5 hours. Spending about 17.5 hours designing a logo was quite normal, but it only earned her 35 dollars in total, even though it has helped create a legendary legacy on millions of Nike sneakers. Davidson is therefore one of the most talked-about women when discussing Nike's history and the origin of Nike shoes. For Nike, 'Less is more' has been the truth, and perhaps part of the key to their timeless elegance.
One of the reasons for Nike's success is their collaboration with and sponsorship of some of the world's biggest male and female stars in the sports world. From Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mia Hamm to Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, Nike has always been closely connected with athletes striving for victory and performance. This has helped promote their Nike shoes and cemented Nike's image as a brand synonymous with athletic success and achievement. Nike as a brand has actually become so big that it takes a lot to collaborate with them.
The NikeTown chain of stores, the first of which opened in 1990, is a tribute to Nike's partners and sports stars, while offering consumers a full range of Nike products. These stores have helped strengthen Nike's image as a premium sports brand and have helped increase the company's sales of Nike Shoes and global reach.
In the 21st century, Nike has entered design collaborations on Nike shoes with some of the biggest names in fashion, such as former Givenchy chief designer Riccardo Tisci and Comme des Garçons. This has helped blur the line between high fashion and sportswear and cemented Nike's position as a leading player in both fashionable Nike sneakers and sports, for both women and men. Not all of Nike's collaborations have been equally successful: In 2009, the brand collaborated with Kanye West, who designed the Nike shoe Air Yeezy. The collaboration was hugely praised by Sneakerheads, but West felt he was not paid enough. The rapper then jumped to the brand Adidas, which now earns insane sums on Yeezys.
Since the late 1980s, Nike has constantly expanded its business and diversified its product range through a series of acquisitions and new product lines. This includes shoe brands Cole Haan and Converse, sports equipment company Canstar Sports, and clothing and equipment firm Umbro. In 1996, Nike launched Sneakers ACG ("all-conditions gear"), marketing products for extreme sports like snowboarding and mountain biking. In the 21st century, Nike has also started selling sports technology accessories, including wearable heart rate monitors and altimeters. The brand is a global favorite for both men and women, with Nike Air Max being one of the best-selling models today, and specific models like ‘Nike Dunk Low Panda’ being produced in large quantities.
Nike is today undoubtedly the biggest shoe brand in the world – and overall one of the biggest brands ever. Will there ever be another brand that breaks through on the same level with the same unique feeling? No, we don't think so.
Need more inspiration for street style? Check out Vogue's article on street style trends among men.
