The history of Nike began back in 1964, when University of Oregon student and part-time sprinter Phil Knight, together with his coach Bill Bowerman, came up with an ingenious scheme to sell high-quality and inexpensive shoes. That same year, Phil went to Japan, where he signed a contract with Onitsuka to supply sneakers to the United States. The first sales were carried out right on the street from Knight's micro-van, and the office served as a garage. At that time the company existed under the name Blue Ribbon Sports.
Phil and Bill were soon joined by a third person, athlete and talented sales manager, Jeff Johnson. Thanks to his special approach, he increased sales and also changed the company's name to Nike, naming the company after the winged goddess of victory.
In 1971, a significant event occurred in the history of Nike - the development of a logo that is still used today. The “flourish” or wing of the goddess Nike was invented by Portland University student Caroline Davidson, who received a fairly modest fee for her creation, only $30.
Legendary InnovationIn history Nike brand There are two ingenious inventions that brought particular success and popularity to the brand. The company's first meteoric rise began in 1975, when Bill Bowerman invented the famous ridged sole while watching his wife's waffle iron. It was this innovation that allowed the company to become a leader and make it the best-selling shoe in America.
In 1979, Nike had another revolutionary development - an air cushion built into the sole, which extended the life of the shoe. This innovation, invented by aircraft engineer Frank Rudy, led to the creation of the world famous, legendary Nike Air series of sneakers.
Our daysToday, the Nike brand is a symbol of sports, and its history to this day is rich interesting facts. For example, in the near future the company is planning a joint project with by Apple. They will jointly release hi-tech technology - these are sneakers and an audio player connected to each other.
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Today Nike is the most recognizable brand. The company, which was founded in 1962, very soon managed to overtake other popular sports brands, and its creator is considered richest man USA. He is Phil Knight, who in the sixties was a student at the University of Oregon and at the same time was engaged in middle-distance running. He was interested in the fact that the market offered either too expensive sports shoes (Adidas), or cheap, but very uncomfortable ones. That is, there was no middle-priced option.
Then he and his friend, who was also a coach, decided to order sports shoes from Asian countries and then resell them in the United States. Moreover, they bought shoes for little money in Japan good quality. Thus, a company arose that friends called “Blue Ribbon Sports”, later renaming it Nike. At first, they sold shoes during competitions from the trunk of a car. And already in 1971, the income of this company amounted to more than one million dollars. Today, sports shoes, clothing and accessories from this company are in great demand among consumers. In our country, branded shoes and clothing, bags and backpacks are offered by the Nike Ukraine website. The prices are quite affordable (photo 1).
History of the logo creation
The company received its current name in 1971. She was named after the goddess Nike (Greek goddess of victory). A year later, cooperation with a shoe manufacturer from Japan ends and the company begins to produce sports shoes of its own production. Then the co-owners of the company decide that a logo is needed. Phil Knight speaks to Caroline Davidson, a student at the University of Portland. At that time, Carolina was studying to become a graphic designer. According to the assignment, it was necessary to depict movement in the logo. Carolina presented the customer with several options and all of them were rejected. But the packaging had to be printed and there had to be some kind of logo on it. Then Phil Knight chose the swoosh as his logo. Moreover, he noted that he does not like the logo, but perhaps over time he will fall in love with it (photo 2). 
For her work, student Caroline Davidson demanded only thirty-five dollars. In 1983, she was invited to a meeting with Phil Knight and colleagues. Where, in addition to a warm welcome, she was presented with a gold ring with diamonds and the company logo, as well as a certificate of honor and company shares. However, the amount of shares has not yet been disclosed. Thus, the founder of the company expressed his gratitude to her (photo 3).
Logo meaning
The Nike swoosh signifies the wing of the goddess Nike. In the mythology of Ancient Greece, this goddess symbolized victory. For great warriors, she served as a source of inspiration. The badge was originally presented in the form of a ribbon. After a while it was called "swoosh", which meant a retinue of cut air. The first shoes with this logo appeared on American markets in 1972. In 1995, the logo was recognized as the company's corporate identity and was registered as a trademark (photo 4). 
Over the years, the logo has changed a little. It was slightly tilted and blurred. Moreover, it also has a slogan that sounds like this: “Just do it.” For many generations, the swoosh logo has become a way of life. The history of this logo is also an example of how a symbol with a very simple, but at the same time working design, contributed to the success of the brand and even managed to turn the company into the most famous on the planet. Today, Nike continues to develop revolutionary shoes, organizes various sporting events, and sponsors famous athletes (photo 5).
The site's observer studied the history of the company, which built a legendary sports brand over 50 years.
The sports industry, like any other, has many peculiarities, and usually the outside observer only sees the tip of the iceberg, while the key differences go much deeper. For many, sport is, first of all, interesting matches, competitions with an unexpected outcome, support for favorites and hatred of opponents. But this is only the external part of the industry. The success of athletes depends not only on their efforts, but also on the equipment that allows them to gain an advantage over those who do not have it.
It is quite possible that the founders were guided by this idea Nike Phil Knight and Bill Bourman began creating the famous brand in the mid-1960s. Phil was a varsity runner, and Bill coached the local team for many years. Both of them felt the lack of good equipment for competitions affordable price. In fact, the only serious brand in this area at that time was Adidas, but, unfortunately, their sports shoes were too expensive. The products of local companies were not suitable for professional sports.
One day, Knight again wondered where to get high-quality sneakers, and realized that this was a free niche. Some sources say that the idea came to him during a seminar at Stanford Business School. As a result, Knight came up with his own model - purchasing suitable shoes in Asia and reselling them in the USA. To start a business, money was needed, and Knight turned to a man who also knew firsthand about the problems with sports shoes - Bill Bourman. Together they came up with a name for the company - Blue Ribbon Sports.
In 1974, a new important stage in the company's development began. Nike opens production in the USA and employs up to 250 people. In the same year, the promotion of the brand to the markets of other countries began, the first being nearby Canada. Nike is starting to get a lot of press, primarily because of its aggressive campaign to capture the market. At the end of the year, sales reached $5 million, but what was much more important was that the brand became truly recognizable.
When the company first announced itself seriously, its leaders realized several key features the market in which they intended to operate. First, new models should be produced in advance of important sporting events. Secondly, everyone loves athletes - if one of the stars puts on Nike sneakers, then they will become a dream for many fans who want to be like their idol. Third: sports can be fashionable, this will allow achieving a high level of sales.
The company demonstrated the first two principles before the 1976 Olympics: during track and field competitions, most athletes wore Nike ridged shoes. Soon after the Olympics, the third rule also worked: running became a popular way to keep fit, which brought the company a huge number of new customers. They all looked up to their idols, who wore Nike. This was reflected in the company's revenue, which reached $25 million in 1977.
Great demand for the brand's sports shoes leads to expansion of production. Nike is opening several new factories in the United States and is also expanding production lines in Asia.
In 1978, integration into other countries of the world was achieved, and it was achieved quite easily: the brand’s shoes sold well in Europe. The start of sales in the Asian market, which had not previously caused any positive reactions among experts, brings the company great profits.
At this time, an important event for the history of sports brands happened: Nike entered into an advertising contract with one of the best tennis players of that time, John McEnroe. Since then, such contracts have become a common practice for promoting the company's products. In the same year, a line of children's shoes went on sale. In addition, Nike managed to take advantage of the problems of its main competitor Adidas and capture about 50% of the US market.
Another thing happens in the late 1970s an important event - former employee NASA Frank Rudy developed the Nike Air cushioning. The idea did not immediately appeal to sports brands, and many, including Nike, abandoned this idea. As a result, Frank still managed to convince the company's management, although he had previously gone through almost all the major competitors and did not receive consent from them.
This was one of Nike's first product improvements. The next few changes affected the appearance of the models, and the later famous designer Tinker Hatfield was especially successful in this.
In the early 1980s, the company went public and used the money it made from the stock to increase sales of the brand. Europe was chosen as the main direction and one of the the most popular types sport - football. The reason for the reorientation to the European market was the decline in the popularity of running in the United States. It should be noted that the company was still late in changing the line, which ultimately led to a decrease in profits.
It was difficult for the brand to achieve success in this direction: Adidas and Puma had strong positions in Europe. Nike used a proven strategy to promote itself through prominent athletes. In 1982, a contract was signed with the then champion of England, the Aston Villa club.
In the US, the brand has also begun to focus on other sports. Nike was primarily interested in basketball. In the early 1980s, the company's product range began to increase significantly. Previously, Nike created mainly running shoes, but now it has begun to create sports uniforms, tennis rackets, boots and much more. In addition, the company moved away from the concept of creating equipment mainly for men and introduced several women's lines.
The change in course still did not save the company from the decline in sales, which began in 1983 and affected not only the US market, but also Europe, where the brand’s position was also vulnerable. Many cite the reason that Knight handed over control of the company to the vice president of marketing, who had no experience leading such giants. As a result, Knight had to become again in 1985 general director.
In 1984, the company, already established in basketball, signed a contract with one of the most famous players - Michael Jordan. A model of Air Jordan shoes was developed especially for the athlete, which he had to wear during all matches. The league considered the sneakers too bright and banned Jordan from wearing them on the court, but the athlete continued to play in Air Jordan every game, paying fines of $1,000 per game and drawing attention to the brand.
The company continued to make losses in 1985. It became clear that the time had come for drastic changes - a reduction in output and staff layoffs began. The company, on the one hand, reduced its product lines, and on the other, increased marketing costs in order to establish the usual level of sales.
In 1986, sales finally began to grow and reached $1 billion, largely due to changes in the line of women's products, which included casual wear, and the introduction of a line of budget sports shoes called Street Socks. Despite the successes, layoffs did not stop, and over six months, about 10% of the staff was cut.
In 1987, the company was still trying to catch up with competitors who had managed to get ahead during the crisis. The brand's main opponent in the United States was Reebok, which managed to snatch a percentage of the basketball direction from its competitor. During this period, a new model of AirMax sneakers with Visible Air technology was released, in which the air chamber was specially made visible.
In 1988, to make up for lost time, the company released the previously announced new version Air Jordan III, which was highlighted due to its excellent appearance from Tanker Hatfield, sports design guru. In the same year, the brand’s famous advertising campaign with the slogan “Just Do It” begins. By the way, there is a legend on this score that the slogan was taken from Gary Gilmore, a murderer sentenced to death in 1977, who shouted “Let's do it” a few minutes before execution." Dan Weiden, representative of the advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy , suggested an option with the word “Just”, and the brand’s leaders liked this idea so much that they agreed without further hesitation.
Another version says that the famous phrase was borrowed from the American humanist Jerry Rubin. If you wish, you can find several more options, but all sources agree on one thing: the slogan was created by the advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy. In the future, “Just Do It” will actually become the second name of the brand and will be recognized as one of the best slogans in history. Phil Knight would later emphasize that he always lived by the motto “Just Do It”: it was with this approach that he founded Nike.
In 1988, the brand's profits increased by $100 million. Nike began an active campaign aimed at promoting its own slogan. By 1989, costs would reach $45 million. This campaign is still cited as an example of aggressive brand promotion. Nike did not skimp on the costs of its organization, collaborating with stars such as Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi and Bo Jackson.
In 1990, an accident occurred that caused a serious public outcry: teenagers killed their peer in order to take Nike shoes from him. Many began to criticize the company for being too aggressive in promoting the brand, which led to the tragedy. But this situation attracted even more attention to the company's products, and sales continued to grow. In the same year, materials began to appear in the press that child labor was used in Nike's Asian factories, and the company had to refute these accusations.
At the same time, Nike acquired Tetra Plastics, a company that produced plastic sole strips. Thanks to excellent sales of shoes with Nike Air technology, the brand has become a leader in the field of sports and fitness. Many analysts agree that the company will soon achieve total dominance in its field. The same year, the Niketown brand store opened. Revenue is also growing, reaching $2 billion.
In 1991, Nike finally managed to catch up with its main competitor in the US market, Reebok. The brand’s position in the European market also became much more stable, where sales reached $1 billion. At the same time, the company still could not achieve leadership, but only kept pace with its competitors. The desire of sports brands to gain control of the European market is perfectly demonstrated by the commercials on MTV Europe, which run almost non-stop.
In the American market, the company's position is strengthened thanks to a lucrative agreement with the Chicago Bulls basketball team, which became champions three times from 1991 to 1993. This record increased the popularity of the brand. In 1991, a new shoe model of the Nike Air Max 180 brand went on sale. The advertising campaign for these sneakers was headed by another star basketball player, Charles Barkley. Despite this approach to promotion, the Air Max 180 did not immediately become popular due to the limited number of colors of the model.
In 1992, Nike celebrates its anniversary. The company's revenues hit $3.4 billion. Phil Knight, at an official event in honor of the holiday, announced a plan to turn the company into the world's largest brand, using the old slogan: this is not the end. Nike announces the opening of new brand stores around the world and the release of revolutionary products and, of course, invests in advertising.
In the same year, a new Niketown appears. At the pretentious opening, the company's management announced that it would become a kind of Disneyland for all lovers of a sports lifestyle. The brand continues to promote the idea that sports and Nike are one and the same. Anyone who loves sports should come to Niketown sooner or later.
At the same time, one of the most important events in the history of sports business takes place. The US basketball team, led by Jordan, won the Olympics, but refused to wear a special winner's uniform for the awards, because most of the team members signed a contract with Nike and could not wear competitors' products. This came as a shock to the sports world: no one expected that equipment manufacturers now control everything in sports.
In 1993, three more Niketowns opened in the United States. The company continued its work in basketball, extending contracts with Jordan and Barkley, as well as reaching agreements with several new stars. The new agreements had a real impact on the life of the athlete, in particular, they determined which events he should appear at. Increasingly, publications began to appear in the media that sport has become a business.
In addition, the brand is launching a series of sporting events - Nike Step. At the end of the year, Phil Knight was unexpectedly declared the most influential person in sports. For the first time in history, a manufacturer received this title sports equipment, not a player or club president.
Until the mid-1990s, the company's position became increasingly stronger. In 1995, Nike achieved dominance in the American market, finally defeating Reebok. In Europe, sales reached $3 billion. The company does not stop there and continues to expand its product line. In 1994, Nike acquired one of the leading developers of hockey equipment, Canstar, which was eventually renamed Bauer Hockey. In 1995, the brand invested in the future by signing a contract with a young golfer who would later contribute much to the history of this sport - Tiger Woods.
The trend of revenue growth continued, and in 1997 the company set a revenue record of $9.19 billion. However, most of it was provided by the American market, and the company received a total of about $2 billion from Asia and Europe. The company became too dependent on the US market: any changes the tastes of the brand's dominant audience - teenagers - led to a decrease in sales. The first bell sounded in 1998, when third-quarter profits fell to a record low over the past decade and a half. One of the main reasons was the crisis in Asia, where sales also decreased. The company carried out a partial restructuring and began, as in the mid-1980s, to reduce product lines and the number of employees. Before 1999, about 5% of the staff was fired.
The situation was aggravated by public protests against Nike's approach to organizing labor in Asia: it came to open actions and boycotts of goods. In an attempt to rectify the situation, Nike decided to amend contracts with employees of the company's factories, made information about working conditions in production facilities publicly available, and agreed to conduct an inspection with independent experts. However, this problem has not yet been completely resolved, and from time to time Nike is again drawn into scandals related to poor working conditions.
An attempt was also made to return the brand to public popularity: the campaign to create playgrounds and distribute equipment in poor neighborhoods and third world countries became widespread.
Nike management concluded the reason for the decline in sales: the brand did not pay attention in time to the growing popularity of extreme sports. The company began producing a corresponding line of products, which, as usual, featured an original design.
In 1999, Nike began to work on the Internet - primarily through great videos. In the future, viral videos will become one of the brand’s calling cards. At the same time, online sales also started. This year, Nike's action in Yugoslavia during the famous conflict was loud: the company placed peacekeeping messages on billboards in Belgrade.
In 2000, Nike introduced new Shox technology - it was the world's first mechanical shock absorption system in shoes. The company had the technology back in the late 1980s, but it was only used for the first time now.
Gradually, all these innovations allowed the company to restore its revenue level, and in 2001 a new revenue record was set, amounting to $10 billion. In the early 2000s, the company introduced several high-profile advertising videos. Just look at the video with Marion Jones, who won three gold medals at the Olympics in 2000 - in the video she was running away from a maniac. The video ended at the most interesting point, and each viewer could propose his own ending on the Nike website, and the best ideas were published. In the same year, the face of the brand changed: the place of Jordan, who retired from the sport, was taken by Tiger Woods, who received a contract worth $100 million.
The audience was delighted ads"The Cage", in which twenty of the world's most famous football players competed in a mysterious football tournament. The video is still considered one of the best in history. Integration into the football industry did not end there: in 2002, Nike completed a deal with Manchester United worth $486 million, which strengthened the Red Devils' position as the richest club in the world at that time.
At this time, the company moved to actively increase production capacity by absorbing competitors. In 2003, Converse, the manufacturer of the famous sneaker model, was acquired. The deal cost Nike $305 million.
The same year, the company signs a contract with LeBron James, presenting him as the new Michael Jordan. A new model of the company's Air Max 3 sneakers appears, which were positioned as the first running model. AM3 has become quite popular - largely due to its sophisticated minimalist design.
In 2004, the world was shocked by the news that the company's permanent president, Phil Knight, was resigning from his post. His son Matthew was supposed to take the place of head of Nike, but he died in an accident, and William Perez became the new head of the company.
Starts in the same year new stage campaigns against poor working conditions at Nike factories in Indonesia and Vietnam. Information has surfaced that 50 thousand workers in Indonesia earn as much in a year as brand officials earn in a month. The company had to work hard to reassure the public. However, quarterly revenue this year grew by 25%, which became best result for the history of Nike.
In 2005, the company introduced a new model of Nike Free 5.0 sneakers, which caused criticism due to the fact that they quickly wore out during active training. In the future, shoes in this series will be significantly improved.
In the same year, another important event took place - Reebok, broken during a long struggle with Nike, became part of Adidas, and now both of the company's main competitors began to oppose it together. However, Nike's position looked unshakable: the company controlled 32% of the global sportswear market, which was almost twice as much as its competitors.
The same year, “Ronaldinho: A Touch of Gold” appeared, in which the famous football player hits the crossbar four times without allowing the ball to touch the ground. This video received the Silver Lion at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
In 2006, William Perez was removed from his post as head of the company by Mark Parker. The main reason was that Perez did not fully understand the brand. Parker, unlike his predecessor, had worked at the company since the early 1980s, and Nike's history was made before his eyes. The reshuffle played a fateful role in the further development of the brand. Parker proved to be a talented CEO: he made the changes that were needed to strengthen Nike's dominant position in the market. One of them was an almost complete transition to our own points of sale instead of the widespread use of official distributors.
At the same time, a new model of Air Max 360 sneakers was released, the main feature of which was the elimination of foam in the sole. This time the design was entrusted to the young designer Martin Lotti.
Another important event took place this year - Nike+iPod, developed jointly with Apple, was presented to the public. The device was positioned as a way to listen to music and play sports without unnecessary worries. Thanks to an accelerometer built into Nike shoes and a special receiver connected to an iPod, it recorded all necessary information: pace, distance, calories lost. It could be used while jogging and even during aerobics.
Many argue that the friendship of the brands was not limited to the joint release of goods and Mark Parker, in the early stages of his presidency, often consulted with Steve Jobs. In the future, the giants will reach new level cooperation and Tim Cook will even join the board of directors of Nike.
In 2007, tensions between Adidas and Nike rise again. The German concern rebranded Reebok and prepared to attack its competitor. However, this was not so easy to do: Nike had almost complete control over basketball (95% of the direction), in addition, thanks to an effective approach to design and innovation, the company had a strong position in the production of sports shoes. To increase more more power, in 2007, Nike acquired the British sports equipment manufacturer Umbro. So the company was going to advance Adidas in football, where the German giant still had leadership.
The deal was officially completed in 2008, as a result of which Nike's revenue exceeded $18 billion. Thus, the American brand increased its lead over Adidas. Nike+iPod Gym was introduced in September of this year. At the same time, the company noted an increase in sales in China, which led brand executives to believe that it could easily achieve dominance in this market. In the end, it turns out that they were hasty in their conclusions, and Nike will have to significantly change their operating model in order to conquer the Chinese market.
In 2010, the company’s “Write the Future” campaign starts on social networks. The video made for her becomes one of the most popular on the Internet, and some media outlets will later call it cursed, because most of its participants failed the tournament. During the campaign, fans were asked to vote for the player who would change the world and send a message. The campaign is considered one of best examples using social networks for viral marketing.
In 2010, the FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa, for which Nike developed a series of boots. At the company's initiative, some football players' uniforms were made from recycled plastic bottles collected in Asian countries - this is how Nike tried to demonstrate its careful attitude to nature. In the same year, the brand signed a new contract with Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, the deal amounted to $8.5 million per year.
In 2011, another advertising campaign for The Chosen brand was launched, the purpose of which was to promote extreme sports among young people. Social networks have again become the main platform. The campaign began with a countdown indicator until the video was released online. Two weeks before it, a 33-second teaser appeared online. The video itself was filmed in Bali, Indonesia and New York. Simultaneously with the promotional video, a film appeared on the Internet with a story about how its filming took place. In addition, a competition was held in which participants were invited to make their own video about extreme sports.
In the same year, a campaign was held in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to present the new Vapor Flash running jacket - light reflection technology allowed it to literally glow in the dark. 50 athletes wearing these jackets moved around Vienna at night and constantly transmitted their location to the website. Everyone was invited to take a photo of one of them along with the number on their jacket and receive a reward of €10 thousand. Needless to say, the action created a real sensation.
In 2011, a commercial was shot to promote the new Zoom Kobe Bryant VI sneaker model. As usual, the company did not skimp on costs: the video was shot by the famous director Robert Rodriguez. The final product, in the form of a trailer for the film “Black Mamba,” in which Bryant played a basketball player fighting off hordes of enemies led by Bruce Willis, was received with delight by the audience.
Another one appears in 2012 total product Nike and Apple - Fuelband, a sports bracelet that can be synchronized with any Apple gadget. It was presented as a device that tracks the burning of every calorie, after which it sends the data to the selected gadget. The giants were sued for this bracelet: the plaintiffs noticed that the advertising was not true, the product did not track all the calories burned during exercise. As a result, the companies agreed to pay all victims $15 in cash or $25 in the form of a gift card.
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Nike (Nike) is famous all over the world American company. This is one of the largest companies designing, producing and distributing sportswear, shoes and accessories.
Nike history of creation
The Nike company appeared in a completely unusual way. Ideally, new firms enter the market in two possible ways. A new company either takes up free space in the market by offering something new, or offers a product of higher quality than its competitors. What makes Nike unique is that when creating the company, its founder used both options at once.
Phil Knight, an ordinary student at the University of Oregon, founded the Blue Ribbon Sports company in 1964. It is this company that later turns into an entire empire, which is now known under the name “Nike”.
What is the backstory of Nike? During his student years, Phil Knight was seriously interested in sports. He was even a middle distance runner on the university team. Knight's coach during those years was Bill Bowerman. In those days there was no special choice of sportswear. Professional athletes could afford $30 sneakers from Adidas, but ordinary American citizens were forced to settle for cheap and low-quality goods of unknown origin.
It was then that Knight decided to seriously work on correcting the current situation. Soon he developed a not very complex, but quite interesting commercial scheme. According to popular legend, at a regular marketing seminar, Knight came up with the concept of his future company. The idea was that Knight would order sports shoes from Asia and sell them in the United States at an affordable price. It was then, in 1964, that Phil Knight and coach Bill Bowerman took the first step by creating a small company called Blue Ribbon Sports.
Some time later, Knight enters into his first contract with the Japanese company Onitsuka Tiger, which undertakes to sew sports shoes for colleagues from the United States. Since Knight's company was not registered, in the first months sales were carried out on the street, where the 26-year-old businessman sold sneakers from a minivan.
Oddly enough, Knight’s business began to develop at a rapid pace. During the first year of the company's existence, the founders' profit amounted to 8 thousand dollars. After calculating the revenue, Knight realized that it was time to develop and hire workers. Soon a sales manager appeared in the company - Jeff Johnson, whose appearance brought several changes to the company at once. The name changed first.
The company was named Nike after the Greek goddess of victory, Nike.
The second change was in policy. Johnson was confident that the company's promotion directly depended on an individual approach to each client. To do this, Johnson found out and wrote down the phone numbers of all buyers, most of whom were athletes, called them and asked about the quality of the purchased goods. He was also interested in product defects, upon discovery of which Johnson offered new models. Johnson kept a whole file cabinet where he recorded all customer reviews and suggestions. It was this strategy that became the key to the company's success.
Development
The end of the 60s of the last century was marked by development in the history of Nike. It was then that the first branded store opened in Santa Monica, California. In 1968, the company released a new type of sneakers.
The new models were made using advanced lightweight materials and had good shock-absorbing properties.
In the early 70s, a company partner in Japan decided that the overseas company was making a lot of money. This was exactly the case, because compared to the first year, the company increased its annual income many times over, which in 1971 amounted to $1.3 million. After this, the Onitsuka Tiger company tried to buy out the share of its American partner and raised prices for the supplied goods. Knight foresaw this development of events and had previously managed to contact another Japanese company, Nisho Iwai. At the same time, the founders of the brand, together with the sales manager, decided to start own production in the United States. Moreover, they had everything they needed for a successful start.
In the same year 71, the company received a new logo, which was soon to become popular throughout the world. The logo was created by Portland State University student Carolyn Davidson. Then the girl created the famous emblem in the form of a stroke, which symbolized the wing of the Greek goddess for almost nothing, receiving 30 dollars for her work. Years later, as the company gained momentum, Knight offered a generous reward. Caroline received a number of company shares and an exclusive figurine as a gift. Nike logo, which was studded with diamonds.
The company’s popularity grew after another innovation – sneakers with “waffle” soles. A similar sole was produced using a completely new technology. Such a sole made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the shoe, while simultaneously increasing momentum during running. The idea to create a revolutionary technology belongs to Knight's coach. It is said that Bowerman came up with it completely by accident when he was looking at his wife’s waffle iron.
The company's debut occurred in 1972, when the United States Olympic training camp took place before the Summer Games.
The following years brought the company dizzying fame. In 1978, the company entered the international market for the first time. IN next year Nike launches sportswear production. Knight and his wife worked on the creation of the first clothing models.
In those years, fitness was gaining popularity. This was the main impetus that influenced the sales of Nike shoes with lightweight soles, which strengthened the company’s position in the global market.
Since that time, the company considered Adidas its main competitor. Since then, companies have been competing for a leading position in the sports products market. In 1973, Nike managed to gain half the market share.
Nike Air sneakers
Each of us has heard the name of the legendary series of sports sneakers “Nike Air”. What is her story?
In 1979, former NASA aeronautical engineer Frank Paris develops a completely unusual method for making sneaker soles. He offers his technology to many sports shoe companies and even Nike, but he is rejected everywhere. But Paris's determination and persistence ultimately lead to Nike agreeing to use the engineer's method in production.
The innovation of the aircraft engineer was that he first proposed using special system depreciation, which was supposed to significantly extend the “life” of the shoes.
Paris was not mistaken in his calculations, since it turned out that the new technology not only extended the life of the sneakers, but also made them several times more comfortable.
Michael Jordan is the star of the company
A well-known rule of successful advertising is that to promote a product well, you need to collaborate with stars. Nike decided not to experiment again and not take risks by starting to collaborate with sports stars and organizations.
The company concluded big number contracts, but the contract concluded in 1985 is still considered the most famous and most scandalous in the history of Nike. During these years, the company's popularity began to gradually decline. It was then that Nike decided to sign a contract with NBA star Michael Jordan. And the reason for this crisis situation was another experiment by the company with the production of casual shoes, which never found buyers.
Immediately after signing a contract with Nike, Jordan began actively advertising the company. He wore Nike sneakers not only during basketball games, but also in everyday life. The company even released an exclusive series of sneakers called “Air Jordan” especially for him. The irony, however, was that these sneakers were the reason Jordan continually paid $1,000 in fines. The reason for the fines was the black and red coloring of the sneakers, which was officially banned in the NBA. Mike was not at all embarrassed by this, since advertising brought him quite a lot of income.
Nike today
Today the Nike brand is known throughout the world and is one of the main symbols of sports. The company has consolidated its position in markets around the world. It offers everything you need for almost all sports. The company has repeatedly acted and continues to act as a sponsor of various sporting events. Nike is successfully promoting its products in the field of football, where its competitor has traditionally been in the lead. A significant share of the company's success comes from the multi-million army of fans of the Nike brand.
It was Nike that first created a special social network dedicated to basketball. The company does everything to always be aware of new trends in the fashion world, never moving away from customers and fans. Thanks to the social network, every fan has unique opportunity personally participate in the creation of “the sneakers of your dreams.” All you need to do is come up with a model and order it from the manufacturer.
Nike successfully cooperates not only with sports companies, but also with technology manufacturing companies. The fruit of cooperation with Apple was the “Nike+iPod” set, which is a set of audio player and sneakers that are connected to each other. In this way, each athlete gets the opportunity to monitor various statistical data about the progress of the training directly on the player screen.
The concept of the brand is that every person with a body is an athlete. That is why the company strives to produce goods for different customers.
As with any story, there are dark sides too. Nike has been and continues to be criticized for numerous human rights and safety violations. Since the company's products are manufactured in the third world, it has been criticized more than once for very low prices. salaries($40 per month). Also the reason for criticism was a scandal involving the use of child labor in production. The brand's management, of course, is trying to maintain control over everything, but Nike's volumes simply do not allow this.
In any case, there is no denying the fact that Nike is one of the largest sporting goods companies in the world. The company has factories in 55 countries around the world. The number of company employees is 30 thousand people. The brand's headquarters is located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States.
Fakes. All large manufacturers are suffering from this scourge. The more famous you are, the more people prefer your brand of clothing, the more fakes pop up on the market. Everything is natural - demand creates supply. Many of us have at least once in our lives experienced the disappointment and sadness of realizing that brand new, “real” Nike sneakers, by midnight, as in that unforgettable fairy tale, turned into “Naik” with all the ensuing consequences in the form of wasted money, a spoiled mood, or, even worse, a sprained ankle, calluses and developing flat feet (depending on your luck).Recently, a wave of counterfeit goods, or fakes (from the English “fake” - cunning, deception, fraud, fake) has swept not only the Russian sales market, but has become a serious problem for manufacturers all over the world. Well-known brands are especially susceptible to the epidemic of counterfeits. sports companies. “Nike” is simply a favorite of fake producers. As the creator of a specific professional clothing and footwear, Nike applies enhanced requirements and standards during the production process, since sports performance and the health of athletes depend on comfort and compliance with hygiene standards. This especially applies to sports shoes. According to Nike anti-counterfeit spokesman Richard Stanwix 98% (!) their shoes sold on the Internet are fake. Of course, manufacturers, as well as distributors of the original product, are struggling with this. We, buyers, can also help them in this difficult matter by buying real goods, not fakes.
In light of this, we would like to consider the main signs by which you can distinguish original Nike sneakers from fakes and give you some useful tips.
Three types of fakes:
In the first case, probably the most harmless, customers are invited to buy company products from their official factories, which were rejected or for some other reason did not end up in the company’s official stores.
Second option- a copy of this or that thing. If with regular casual clothes this option can still be somehow implemented at the proper quality level, due to the fact that many products do not require special technological equipment, then with sports equipment everything is much more complicated. For its production it is necessary to use only high-quality materials and fabrics. They must meet all the requirements placed on them, be it density, wear resistance, strength, ability to pass air and moisture, etc. In addition, production is impossible without high-quality technological equipment that will ensure the implementation of all developments.
Third option- an ordinary fake, handcrafted in haste using low-quality materials.
How to distinguish a fake from the original?
In fact, everything is quite simple, follow simple instructions and pay attention to the little things. For illustration, photos of Nike Air Max Skyline SI sneakers (original), Nike Air Max 90 (fake) and photos of the same but original model will be used.
- First of all, it is recommended to buy professional sports equipment in specialized stores that supply from official manufacturers. If there are no official suppliers of clothing of the desired brand in your city, you can try to find an online store selling the goods you are interested in. You should refrain from shopping in stock clothing stores, as there is a very high chance of buying counterfeit goods.
- If possible, please visit before making a purchase. products webpage to see what a particular model actually looks like.
- It is recommended that you refrain from making purchases from online stores that do not have an exact physical address. Serious online stores, as a rule, have offices in the real world.
- Be sure to realize that real Nike Zoom BB III or Nike Zoom LeBron VI sneakers cannot cost 50-70 dollars, even with a super discount dedicated to Mother Teresa's Day. Quality and brand cost money.
- Pay attention to the stitching places - the seams should be even, made of the same type, quality and color of thread.
- On real products, the leather is always soft, evenly colored, without wrinkles or unevenness.
- Glued seams in sneakers should not have any smudges or frozen drops of glue.
- Sneakers must be packed in a branded box. If the seller told you that there is no box for the sneakers, it was lost, delayed at customs, or it was stolen by aliens, you should think about the advisability of making a purchase in this store.
- You shouldn’t go looking for “real Nike from America” with your dogs. All Nike production has long been moved to countries where work force cheaper than in the States. However, quality control has not been canceled.
- One more detail that Nike is very meticulous about should not be missed. This is a tag sewn to the inside of the tongue of the shoe. On branded shoes, it is stitched very neatly, and it displays information about the size, country of origin and Nike patents. Counterfeit manufacturers often consider the label an unnecessary luxury.
- Another distinguishing characteristic is the outsole. Nike branded sneaker sole — matte, as it consists of a complex composite material. Manufacturers of fakes save on the sole and use material with a high percentage of rubber. The more rubber in the sole, the more shiny it is.
- The next point is the AIR system. Most fakes have no air cushion at all. There is a certain visual similarity, similar to cameras with compressed air, but in reality these turn out to be voids that are pressed through when walking, killing both the sole and the foot. You should definitely refrain from buying basketball shoes on E-bay. E-bay is a graveyard of counterfeits. Registering an account there is a matter of two minutes, and in principle they do not check the reliability of sellers there. Rescue of drowning people at a private auction is the work of the drowning people themselves.
And now let's look at everything clearly:
1. Workmanship
Original Nike Air Max Skyline SI:
An even seam, neatly sewn labels, the absence of “burrs” and glue stains, and especially dried drops - this is the minimum that sneakers must meet.
Fake Nike Air Max 90 (black-varsity red-metallic silver):
2. Quality of materials
Next, we look at the materials, the sole should not be too shiny, “plastic” and slippery; if there is a layer of foam, then it should be foam, and not a piece of plastic or rubber. The smell like you're in a chemical plant should also make you immediately stop buying such products.
Original Nike Air Max 90 (black-varsity red-metallic silver):
Fake Nike Air Max 90 (black-varcity red-metallic silver):
If you put a fake and an original side by side, the differences are immediately obvious. The fake copies the color scheme of the model and its shape, but the materials used are completely different, both in the main part and in the insert at the lacing point, as well as in the upper and inner parts of the sneaker.
3. Box
The presence of a box is also prerequisite, because You can often judge the originality of a product by looking at the box. Its absence is enough reason to doubt.
This is what a box for Nike branded shoes looks like:
4. Compliance with technology
The next difference between fake sneakers and the most difficult to check is the absence of compressed air chambers in the sole of the sneaker. The same famous Air system used in Nike sneakers. Other companies use similar technologies, but the names are different. The difficulty is that to check you need to cut the air chambers. In original sneakers, they will burst with a characteristic pop, because... there the air is under pressure. Thus, the counterfeits are technologically completely different from the originals. Which, of course, negatively affects not only the quality of the shoes, but also your health.
5. “Made in China”
Also, don’t look for sneakers made in the USA, Germany, England, etc. , because most of the factories are concentrated in Asian countries, which is due to the low cost of production per unit of product, and quality control in all factories of a particular brand is the same. If your Nike sneakers say “Made in China”, there is no reason to worry: all the original sneakers produced by this company throughout its history bear the same inscription.
6. Dimensions
The seller offers a full line of sizes of rare models - sure sign that they want to sell you a fake.
7. Verified places
The main rule to avoid counterfeiting is to buy sneakers only in trusted places, especially for online stores, where there is often no opportunity to touch the product with your hands. Do not chase a low price; in most cases, the result of such a purchase will disappoint you too quickly. The price level for certain models can always be tracked on the Internet on the websites of official manufacturers, along with the colors of the models that were produced at one time or another.
A specialist just needs to look at the label sewn to the tongue to definitely answer the question of whether it is a fake or not. But this is often very difficult for an ordinary buyer to do. Therefore, the main weapon is information. Do not fall for the bait of unscrupulous sellers! Enjoy the shopping!