The Nike Cortez was originally called the Tiger before being renamed.
Bill Bowerman designed the shoe for Blue Ribbon Sports, the company that distributed Onitsuka Tiger footwear in the United States. The model debuted in 1968 as the TG-24 and was later marketed as the Tiger Cortez. The name referenced Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador associated with the conquest of the Aztec Empire.
A business dispute between Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka Tiger led to the end of their partnership. After Blue Ribbon Sports began selling the shoe independently, it renamed the model the Nike Cortez in 1972.
The Cortez became one of Nike’s earliest major footwear successes. Its simple low-cut design, foam cushioning, and herringbone outsole helped establish Nike as a standalone brand rather than merely an American distributor of another company’s products.