Even sports giants need coaching, and for Nike, the coach 🤝 athlete pairing made all the difference 🤔

Bill Bowerman was a track and field coach at the University of Oregon, while Phil Knight was a runner on the team 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

A runner’s shoe is super important, so the two brainstormed some ideas 💭

The athlete and coach came up with the idea to start a running shoe company, and Bowerman began experimenting with new shoe designs in his garage 🛠️ 🏡

He cared about foot health, quality fabrics and great tech to support star athletes 🤩

Bowerman was 45 and Knight was 24 when they formed their first company in 1964 🐔

They named the company Nike after the Greek goddess of victory 🏆

In 1971, Nike released its first line of running shoes, featuring a waffle-patterned sole that provided better traction 👟

The 7 year wait was worth it 🤩

Runners loved the shoes 😍

Nike quickly gained popularity among runners and expanded its product offerings to include other sports and athletic wear ⚽️

Today, Nike is one of the most popular shoe brands ✨

And, when you think of Nike, you think of “Just Do It” and other victory-inspiring slogans 💪

Now you know how Nike became the brand you know, love, and wear today 😍

We’ll learn more about Nike’s early growth and killer marketing campaigns next 🎬