Nike first used its Swoosh logo on a shoe in 1971.
Graphic design student Carolyn Davidson created the Swoosh in 1971 while working with Blue Ribbon Sports. The company needed a mark for its footwear as it moved toward selling shoes under its own identity rather than relying only on products from Japanese manufacturer Onitsuka Tiger.
The first shoe to carry the Swoosh was the Nike, a football boot released in 1971. The logo’s curved form was intended to suggest motion and was also associated with the wing of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The company adopted the name Nike around the same period.
The Swoosh is often dated incorrectly to Nike’s later corporate milestones. It appeared before Blue Ribbon Sports formally changed its corporate name to Nike, Inc. in 1978, making 1971 an important transition point in the brand’s visual history.