What was Nike's original company name before 1971?

Nike’s original company name before 1971 was Blue Ribbon Sports. Founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1964, the business operated under that name before officially becoming Nike, Inc.

Blue Ribbon Sports began as a distributor of Japanese running shoes made by Onitsuka, later known as ASICS. Knight had developed the idea while studying the economics of athletic footwear, while Bowerman’s experience as a track coach led him to experiment with shoe designs and performance improvements. Early sales were made at track meets in the Pacific Northwest.

As the company expanded beyond distributing Onitsuka shoes, it needed its own brand identity. Employee Jeff Johnson is widely credited with suggesting “Nike,” a reference to the Greek goddess of victory. Carolyn Davidson designed the Swoosh, and Nike branding began appearing on the company’s products in 1971.

The transition was not merely a nickname change: the company officially changed its corporate name to Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1971. Therefore, Blue Ribbon Sports is the canonical historical answer, while names such as Bowerman Sports and Oregon Athletic are fictional alternatives.