Nike, Inc. | History, Logo, Headquarters, & Facts (2024)

Nike, Inc., American sportswear company that is one of the world’s best-known brands. It was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, his former track-and-field coach at the University of Oregon. The company was renamed Nike, Inc., in 1971, and it went public in 1980. By the early 21st century, Nike had retail outlets and distributors in more than 170 countries, and its logo—a curved check mark called the “swoosh”—was recognized throughout the world. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.

Nike’s origins trace to 1962, when Knight toured the Onitsuka (now Asics) factory in Japan. Impressed by the speed and quality with which it produced shoes, he made a deal to sell the Onitsuka Tiger, the company’s signature shoe, in the United States. After showing the sneakers to Bowerman, the duo formed Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. Knight largely focused on the business side of the company, while Bowerman was involved in shoe design. In 1967 Bowerman created the popular Tiger Cortez, a modified version of the Onitsuka Tiger.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Quiz

In 1971 Blue Ribbon Sports split from Onitsuka and changed its name to Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory. Its swoosh logo was also introduced that year. In 1974 Nike signed its first athlete, long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, and he helped popularize the growing brand.

After going public in 1980, Nike struggled, and one of the company’s executive encouraged Knight, who was CEO, to sign an endorsem*nt deal with NBA rookie Michael Jordan. A lucrative contract was finalized in 1984, and it revolutionized sports marketing and transformed Nike into an international powerhouse. The company’s line of Air Jordan sneakers became a phenomenon and are perhaps the world’s best-known shoes. In 1988 the company debuted its iconic slogan “Just Do It.”

From the late 1980s Nike steadily expanded its business and diversified its product line through numerous acquisitions, including the shoe companies Cole Haan (1988; sold in 2012) and Converse, Inc. (2003), the sports-equipment producer Canstar Sports, Inc. (1994; later called Bauer and sold in 2008), and the athletic apparel and equipment company Umbro (2008; sold in 2012). In 1996 the company created Nike ACG (“all-conditions gear”), which markets products for extreme sports such as snowboarding and mountain biking. In the early 21st century Nike began selling sports-technology accessories, including portable heart-rate monitors and high-altitude wrist compasses.

Part of Nike’s success is owed to endorsem*nts by high-profile athletes. In addition to Michael Jordan, the company has signed deals with Mia Hamm, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The NikeTown chain stores, the first of which opened in 1990, pay tribute to these and other company spokespersons while offering consumers a full range of Nike products. In the 1990s the company’s image suffered from revelations about poor working conditions in its overseas factories. Nike later instituted various reforms, which included auditing its factories.

In 2004 Knight stepped down as CEO, though he continued as the company’s chairman until 2016. At that time of his retirement, Nike’s annual revenue was more than $32 billion.