Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman established Nike as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. Knight, a runner, handled the business side, while Bowerman, his former track coach at the University of Oregon, experimented with improving athletic shoes.
Blue Ribbon Sports initially distributed shoes made by the Japanese manufacturer Onitsuka Tiger, now known as ASICS. The partnership later ended, and the company began developing and selling its own footwear. In 1971, it introduced the Nike name and the Swoosh logo; the company officially became Nike, Inc. in 1978.
A frequent mistake is dating Nike’s founding to 1971, when the Nike brand appeared. The entrepreneurial company itself began in 1964 under its earlier name. Its name refers to Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.