Saturday, June 13, 2009

Nike Shoes Then and Now

By Carol Strombeck

You'll find Nike shoes worn by all different types of people all over the world. From a little kid on his first day of school all the way to professional athletes. Most people are so familiar with the brand that they don't take the time to consider the fact that the company actually came from humble beginnings. Nike shoes are sold everywhere and their swoosh logo seems almost as well known as the peace symbol.

The famous Nike logo was created by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student studying at Portland State University in 1971. Nike co-founder, Phil Knight, wasn't excited about the swoosh but nevertheless paid Davidson $35 for her creation. His reaction: "I don't love it, but it will grow on me." Apparently it did grow on Knight as well as the rest of the world. The Nike swoosh is probably one of the most recognized logos on the globe. In 1983 after Davidson retired from the company, some sources claim that Knight gave her a diamond ring engraved with the swoosh as well as an undisclosed amount of Nike stock.

Nike currently employs more than 30,000 people around the world and makes other sports apparel and equipment besides shoes. Recently the company has been under some scrutiny because of concerns associated with human rights and poor working conditions. It's estimated that in 2008 the company made a net income of around $1.9 billion dollars.

As previously mentioned, the huge Nike company you know today came from rather humble beginnings. A lot of people don't realize the kind of work it takes to build a company from nothing to $1.9 billion dollars a year. Philip Knight was a track runner and partnered up with his coach, Bill Bowerman, to sell sneakers out of their cars during track meets at the University of Oregon. Originally the company was known as Blue Ribbon Sports.

When Blue Ribbon Sports first began business they sold shoes produced by a Japanese company. However, that changed in 1971 when they began producing their own line of football shoes. Eventually they began making other types of shoes and business really began to take off. The dropped the Blue Ribbon name in 1978 and started marketing everything under their new Nike name and logo. A short time later in 1980, Nike was one of the most recognized shoe names in the United States, accounting for more than 50% of total shoe sales in the country.

The Nike company still has headquarters in Oregon and currently owns several subsidiaries including Umbro and Converse. At one time, Nike also owned Bauer Hockey and Starter.

Even though Nike has received a lot of bad press recently you can't argue with the fact that the co-founders certainly put a lot of hard work into making the company the huge success that it is today. They certainly are entitled to every bit of the $1.9 billion dollars they earned last year. Nike continues to be a favorite among professional athletes, sport fans, and everybody else in between. - 16887

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