When Was Nike Founded
October 20, 2009 by Jacquie
Filed under Running Interest Stories
Nike Shoes began it’s life as a dream for track coach, Bill Bowerman and accounting student and runner, Phillip Knight. Together they had a dream of producing low-priced, high-tech athletic shoes. In answer to the frequently asked question “when was Nike founded?” – Nike was founded on January 25, 1964 under the company name of Blue Ribbon Sports and officially took the name of Nike, Inc. in 1978. Over forty years later, Nike not only produces sports wear and running shoes but also produces equipment for every imaginable sport, as well as a range of clothing, school supplies and other products for athletes.Nike Running Shoe technologies was the Nike Air technology which was introduced in 1979. This was introduced in the Nike Tailwind running shoe . The air came from gas-filled membranes that are inserted into the sole of the shoes to provide cushioning. On a side note and for those basketball players, Nike’s first court shoe using the Air technology was created in 1982, known as the Nike Air Force 1. Five years after that, in 1987, the Nike Air max sneaker made its debut. The Air Max uses a much larger air cushioning unit and can be seen from the side of the midsole. This became the first of many generations of Air Max branded technologies.
What Does Nike Mean?
The name Nike means Victory. Nike, Inc. was named after, who else, Nike, who stems from Greek mythology and is said to be the Greek goddess of victory, strength and speed. Were you aware that since the 1928 Olympics, every Olympic medal has Nike’s figure holding a palm frond in her left hand and a winner’s crown in her right hand.
Nike Technology
Although Nike has been very successful in producing many models of shoes for athletes, two of their greatest running shoe technologies are the air technology and the shox technology.
One of the earlier of the Nike Running Shoe technologies was the Nike Air technology which was introduced in 1979. This was introduced in the Nike Tailwind running shoe . The air came from gas-filled membranes that are inserted into the sole of the shoes to provide cushioning. On a side note and for those basketball players, Nike’s first court shoe using the Air technology was created in 1982, known as the Nike Air Force 1. Five years after that, in 1987, the Nike Air max sneaker made its debut. The Air Max uses a much larger air cushioning unit and can be seen from the side of the midsole. This became the first of many generations of Air Max branded technologies.
Still coming up with new innovative designs, Nike created an ambitious new technology in 2000 which they named the Nike Shox. The Shox technology has since been introduced into many models of Nike’s shoes. Shox are small columns that makeup the outsole of the shoe. Nike claims that Shox columns not only absorb impact from heel strike while running, but they also spring back and add more power to a runner’s stride. Although initially thought to be a cheap marketing gimmick by serious runners, Nike Shox have begun to gain credibility and is expected to be an integral shoe design in years to come.
Nike are not only leaders in the runner’s world, but also leaders in the sports and athletic industries. They have also been forward in taking care of our environment with the Nike Shoe Recycling Program. Who would’ve dreamed that after paying only $35 to have the popular Nike Swoosh created in 1971, that there revenues would exceed $18 billion in 2008. And to Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, that’s exactly what it was – a dream.
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