What was Nike called when Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded the business in 1964?

Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Nike’s business as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964.

Phil Knight was a University of Oregon distance runner coached by Bill Bowerman. Knight believed Japanese running shoes could compete with established German brands, while Bowerman experimented with shoe designs to improve performance. They began by importing shoes made by the Japanese company Onitsuka Tiger, now known as ASICS.

Blue Ribbon Sports was incorporated on January 25, 1964. For years, it distributed Onitsuka shoes in the United States. The company gradually developed its own footwear, and its first shoe carrying the Nike name appeared in 1971. Blue Ribbon Sports officially became Nike, Inc. in 1971.

The famous Swoosh was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971. A frequent error is saying Nike was the original company name; Nike was the later brand and corporate name, not the name used at founding.