US giant Nike is the world’s biggest sportswear company. Born of a partnership between Phil Knight and his former track coach at the University of Oregon, Bill Bowerman, the company started out as the US distributor of sports shoes manufactured by Japan’s Onitsuka Company (now ASICS). After striking out on its own as the Onitsuka relationship soured, Nike came to dominate basketball, athletics, tennis, and football, and later became a major player in soccer, skateboarding, and even golf. In the ’80s, through a combination of key sneaker models, including Michael Jordan’s signature shoes, important pop culture moments, and genius advertising, Nike became as big a lifestyle brand as it is a sportswear colossus.
Nike was founded on January 25, 1964, in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
Nike is a multinational American brand manufacturing and selling sneakers, sports apparel, and accessories. Nike is the world’s leading sportswear manufacturer, making $21 billion in 2021 in profits alone.
Phil Knight, full name Philip Hampson Knight — American businessman who founded Nike at 26 in his parent’s garage; the company was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports.
Even though Nike is a publicly traded company, the swoosh logo brand is owned by its original co-founder Phil Knight and his son Travis Knight who own 97% of outstanding shares and the holding companies.
Nike releases many of its premium and limited shoes through its SNKRS app (iOS, Android) and at Nike.com. The company has over 1000 stand-alone Nike retail stores worldwide and thousands of franchises. In addition, Nike shoes are available at practically every reputable footwear retailer, from major chains such as Foot Locker to specialist sneaker and streetwear boutiques.
Online and physical retailers that get limited and special edition Nike sneakers include Highsnobiety favorites KITH, Solebox, Sneakersnstuff, Livestock, and END. Clothing, Caliroots, Slam Jam, Browns, SSENSE, and MR PORTER. On the aftermarket, you can cop some resale Nike sneakers at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and Grailed.
Nike releases many of its premium and limited shoes through its SNKRS app (iOS, Android) and at Nike.com. The company has over 1000 stand-alone Nike retail stores worldwide and thousands of franchises. In addition, Nike shoes are available at practically every reputable footwear retailer, from major chains such as Foot Locker to specialist sneaker and streetwear boutiques.
Online and physical retailers that get limited and special edition Nike sneakers include Highsnobiety favorites KITH, Solebox, Sneakersnstuff, Livestock, and END. Clothing, Caliroots, Slam Jam, Browns, SSENSE, and MR PORTER. On the aftermarket, you can cop some resale Nike sneakers at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and Grailed.
Contrary to myth-making, even the fabled Nike Air Jordan 1 ended up on sales racks after Nike reportedly overshot production. Nike’s most popular limited models and collaborations might sell out quickly. Still, older, less popular models and shoes produced in too-large batches will find their way to clearance to make way for new releases.
And as the story of the OG Air Jordan 1 and its unloved 1994 retro shows, just because a shoe ends up on sale doesn’t mean it won’t be considered a grail later. Nike.com always has a notable collection of sneakers on sale.
Nike maintains a release launch calendar on its website and Nike SNKRS app. Likewise, the websites of retailers such as Sneakersnstuff, Caliroots, and END. Clothing all have release calendars featuring the most significant upcoming drops.
If you’re looking for an app to track upcoming releases beyond Nike’s official channels, our guide to the best sneaker apps recommends Eastbay (iOS, Android), with honorable mentions to Unlaced (iOS) and resale app GOAT (iOS, Android). And if you’re looking for news about new Nikes, look no further than Highsnobiety (and Nike.com).
By now, the logo is worth billions of dollars – one of the most recognizable brand logos worldwide. Caroline Davidson designed the iconic Nike swoosh in 1971; the graphic design student was paid a mere $35 for her work.
Although Nike used to produce in the US, much like other prominent brands, most Nike sneakers are now made in China. There are reportedly over 72 factories in China, which makes up a 15% share of all Nike factories, where around 30 styles of shoes are produced. However, the brand still has some US factories, accounting for about 6% of all factories worldwide.
Nike Dunks tend to run true to the size, not big or not too small. Browsing through Reddit forums and sneaker blogs, the general consensus seems that Nike Dunks generally come in the perfect size. However, they can sometimes feel narrow due to slight differences in feet width and length. As this can still vary, it might be necessary to go half-size up or down.
Yes, Nike owns Converse – Nike acquired Converse in 2003.
You can buy Nike directly at Nike’s online shop.