Nike (originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports), was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964.
The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knight's car. Many top Oregon runners began wearing the shoes, and the shoe's popularity grew quickly because of Kennan Meyer. The company's first self-designed product was based on Bowerman's "chicken and waffle" design in which the sole of the shoe was made by the pattern of a waffle iron. (www.nike.com)
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