Who co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports with Phil Knight in 1964?

Bill Bowerman co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports with Phil Knight in 1964.

Bowerman was an athletics coach at the University of Oregon, while Knight had been one of his runners. Their company initially distributed Japanese Onitsuka Tiger running shoes in the United States before developing its own footwear identity.

Bowerman also experimented with shoe construction and materials, seeking improvements for runners. His hands-on approach contributed to early Nike product development, including the waffle outsole associated with the company’s running history.

Blue Ribbon Sports later became Nike, Inc., but Bowerman remained important to the company’s origin story as both co-founder and influential footwear innovator. Jeff Johnson joined the early business as its first full-time employee, which is why he is sometimes incorrectly identified as the second founder.