The same year, at the Honolulu Marathon, the company introduced the Air Tailwind, which featured the ground-breaking concept of embedding “pressurized air inside a tough yet flexible bag” and placing it in the soles of shoes. In 1978, Nike created the Lady Waffle Trainer, the first women’s-specific running shoe. Since the rather unconventional yet brilliant creation of the waffle spike shoe, where Bowerman famously used his waffle iron to mold melted urethane into rubber outsoles, Nike has continually pushed the boundaries of innovation in running shoes. Nike’s renown in running footwear is well-earned.

With its unique business model, the company quickly became a formidable competitor to brands like Puma and Adidas who largely dominated the running shoe market at the time. The two joined forces in 1964 to form Blue Ribbon Sports, which officially became Nike, Inc. After graduating with an MBA from Stanford in 1962, Knight believed he could challenge the status quo by importing less expensive, yet equally high-quality running shoes from Japan. One of his main subjects was a runner named Phil Knight. It was a relationship between University of Oregon’s track coach Bill Bowerman and one of his athletes that kindled a spark that would eventually become Nike as we know it today.īowerman was known for altering his runners’ shoes in an effort to make them faster for competitions. Nike’s strong presence in today’s running market is a direct result of its origin in the sport. Watch any race, and you’re most certainly going to find the notorious “ Swoosh” logo littered on the feet of professional and amateur runners alike. The two are as intertwined as peanut butter and jelly.

To say Nike shoes have shaped the sport of running would be a gross understatement. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Footwear News may receive an affiliate commission.

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