How Nike built a global empire with a Waffle Iron
Its hard to believe that a someone who just graduated from business school and who had no previous knowledge of engineering or design would later found the biggest sportswear company in the world. It started when Philip Knight from Portland Oregon made his first trip to Japan in the early sixties. One of the first things he noticed was the way the made sneakers and how much more advanced they were compared to the ones he wore back home.
Even though Philip was not an engineer he knew that this new technology from Japan could be a big hit with the many athletes and sportsmen whom he knew back in the states. A keen runner himself he was able to recognise the possibilities of these new shoes and decided to become an importer and ordered his first 200 pairs as soon as he got home.
This young graduate made money by selling his new Japanese Sneakers at athletics events. The shoes sold well but he still had to store them in his parents basement. However he still wasnt actually making any sneakers until his old track coach William Bowerman joined the company in 1964. Bowerman was a keen engineer and not just a runner and these skills would revolutionise the sportswear market.
It was William who came up with the name Nike for the company, saying that it had come to him in a dream late one night. It was also Bowerman who designed the companys first shoe. He did this with the slightly unusual method of pouring liquid rubber into the family waffle iron! He was proud of the way the sneakers had been developed, later deciding to call his first pair the Waffle sole.
It wasnt until the 1972 Olympics that Nike really started to get some recognition as many athletes at the games choose to wear the new Waffle sole that Bowerman had created. Many remarked that the sole fit the sole of their foot much better than existing shoes in the market.
The famous swoosh logo of Nike was actually developed by a part time design student on placement at the company. She was called Carolyn Davidson and only received around thirty dollars for her work at the time. The symbol has become one of the most recognisable brands in the world and is used on all Nike products.
One of the biggest leaps forward in the design of Sneakers was when Nike first introduced the Air sole. It was designed by a former NASA engineer and used pressurised gas to give the soles a never before seen spring. This air cushioning is still seen in the Nike Shox of today and is as popular as ever.
Nike have also proved adept at marketing in recruiting Michael Johnson in the late 80s to help promote the Sneakers. To further the marketing campaign they decided to make a pair of shoes just for him called the Air Jordans. They proved to be a real hit with kids and adults alike both on and off the court. They were also the number one Christmas present for kids in 1988.
Every time Michael wore the special sneakers on the court he was fined five thousand dollars by the NBA. Nike paid the fine for Michael and if anything it only made the brand even more famous. Air Jordans became the most sought after basketball shoes on the planet and number one Christmas present request with many children in the 80s.
It wasnt until the 90s that Nike become really unstoppable and became the No1 sports shoe manufacturer in the world. To celebrate this they introduced the Just do it slogan. And ever since Nike has been doing just that, and hopefully will for a long time to come!
