Nike's mission statement is, "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world." Their statement isn't just simply a statement, it is their purpose. A purpose that has created a leader in athletic industries, and that has fueled dreams for many.
After Nike had grown from thier shoe imports, they then owned multiple locations. Which led to them start producing their own shoe. The Nike Cortez came from this. The new lightweight, breathable, state of the art running shoe was now here. With a top 5 finisher wearing thier shoe at the 72' Olympic games, Nike's hand in the sports industry was growing.
Nike started on a decline. They eventually hit a plateau with the Track and Field sponsorships, and slowly began to decline. This lead to financial losses, and having to lay off hundreds of employees. This was all put aside when Nike made a last ditch effort to sign NBA rookie, Michael Jordan, leading to the Air Jordan series of shoes that are stilling being produced today.
15 years after their conception, Nike started to spread the Swoosh that was only growing more popular. Nike began on their athletic clothing adventure. From shorts, to hoodies, to the most simple tees, the Swoosh swept through the streets, now present all the way from head to toe. Nike's clothing line was proving not only succesful, but profitable.
What is now an empire of the shoe industry, Nike had humble beginnings. Founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, Nike's humble beginnings first started in Eugene Oregon. Almost 60 years ago, this duo founded Blue Ribbon Sports Co, which would soon flourish into Nike Inc. only 7 years later. From the Cortez shoes, to the now popular Nike Dunks, they have innovated and shaped an ever growing shoe industry.
