Nike Shoes

The Nike Company

The story behind Nike shoes is not quite a "rags to riches" tale, but it is equally dramatic. In 1962, Philip H. Knight, upon finishing his graduate education at the Stanford Business School, headed for Japan to seek his fortune with Tiger Shoes. Though he had no product behind him, Knight gave the president of this company the impression that he was an American athletic equipment distributor.

Knight's clever ploy soon had him selling shoes, labeled "Blue Ribbon Sports", out of the back of his truck at sporting events. Tired of this endeavor, Knight soon began producing his own athletic line which he named Nike. During the first year of Nike sales, however, Knight sold only $8,000 worth of shoes--raking in a mere $250 profit.

After consulting his old high school coach, Bill Bowerman, for helpful tips, the idea to place traction on the bottom of the shoes resulted in the creation of some seriously unique athletic shoes. This skyrocketed the Nike Waffle Trainer into popularity. By 1979, the Nike Company became established as the most popular shoe company in the entire world.

Keeping up with a competitive market is difficult; hence, Nike has maintained a high profile by creating specialized shoes for a variety of sports activities and by acquiring big name athletes like Michael Jordon to endorse its footwear. Using very shrewd advertising techniques, Nike shoes has managed to remain at the top as a multi-billion dollar footwear entity.

Types of Nike Shoes

When it comes to basketball trainers, Nike has always had the limelight. But Nike footwear extends far beyond the realm of Air Jordans. In fact, Nike shoes have been manufactured for sports like:

• Football
• Soccer
• Running
• Skateboarding
• Golf
• Cycling
• Softball

More importantly, what makes Nike such a trusted name in the athletic industry is the specialized technology that is included in the manufacturing of all Nike shoes. Nike is not a name that targets the creation of random and simple footwear; these shoes are geared to help you run faster and more safely, to promote traction, to aid jumping, and to streamline rapid and sharp maneuvers.

No matter what sport you are participating in, Nike has most likely pieced together a shoe that is designed to enhance your athletic performance. Is this technology just overly-exposed hype or is there some truth to the claims?

The fact that Nike shoes are still worn by so many professional competitive athletes, who all want to remain at the top of their game, is probably a good indication that the heavy detail that goes into Nike shoes is most likely a worthwhile endeavor.

Other Nike Features

Nike also manufactures its shoes in gender specific lines, distinguishing between men's and women's footwear. When you purchase certain items from the online Nike store, you are also able to customize the external design of your shoe. This is handy for athletes who wish to match their shoes to their uniform.

Where to Purchase

Since Nike is such a big name, it isn't difficult to locate Nike shoes. These products are available at most large sporting good stores such as Champ's Sports and Sport Chalet. Moreover, the official Nike site offers an online shop where all Nike merchandise can be purchased and/or customized!