The Nike Country Belt Returns for The First Time in Two Decades
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Nike’s half-century-plus existence is full of quirky, oddball moments that have been lost to time. Tucked between the vast array of global moments in sneakers and athlete endorsements are stories that reflect the original ethos of Nike, that eccentric DIY aesthetic brought on by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. One such story is that of the Nike Country logo, a design that dates back nearly 50 years and is making a comeback on some Western-style belts with large buckles.
The Origins of the Nike Country Logo
To get to the origin of the Nike Country logo, we have to go back to 1967. This was the year Geoff Hollister began working with Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman at Blue Ribbon Sports, becoming the third official employee of the brand that would eventually become Nike. His influence at the brand runs deeper than just the Nike Country logo, which he would later design in 1972.
Image via oregonlive.com
Geoff was an employee of Nike for 33 years, and his work ranged from gluing early prototypes of the legendary Moon Shoe with waffle sole units made by Bill Bowerman to coaching Steve Prefontaine and even building the Athletics West team. He also played an integral role in keeping the brand’s essence alive as it expanded into a global sportswear empire, something former Nike CEO Mark Parker praised him for.
Rediscovering a Forgotten Graphic
Image via picksandflips (eBay)
The Nike Country logo remained largely forgotten until the early 2000s, when Nike designer Bob Smith stumbled back across it. Smith told Complex that he remembered the logo from a t-shirt he saw growing up and couldn’t shake the nostalgic pull it had on him. At the time, Nike was working on retro-themed apparel that celebrated the brand’s early years, and Smith saw the perfect opportunity to bring the forgotten graphic back to life in a new way.
A Belt That Tells a Story
But rather than reissue the graphic on a t-shirt or windbreaker, Smith had something a little more offbeat in mind: a leather belt. His goal wasn’t to follow trends or make a Western fashion statement—it was to tell a story. “Nike was started by a bunch of hippies in the ’60s,” he said, and the belt was his way of honoring that weird, geeky energy that shaped the company’s early culture.
Images via 6lncd
To bring the belt to life, Smith enlisted the help of then-Nike VP of Apparel Mindy Grossman, who connected him with Phil Adler, a leatherworker based in Eugene, Oregon—the same town where Hollister grew up. Adler hand-tooled the belts with richly embossed artwork, featuring motifs from the Pacific Northwest like Mount Hood. However, the original Nike Country logo was lost, so the brand had to recreate it, something they previously did in 1978 for other Nike Country apparel.
The Nike Country Belt Returns in 2025
The Nike Country Belt would release in 2003 and become a cult classic for Nike collectors. Now, over two decades later, the belt is back. The design is returning in three distinct variations: black leather with a silver buckle, brown leather with a gold buckle, and a bold black version accented with rhinestones. They’re not a precise 1:1 retro of the original, as the debossed artwork on the new belt comes with floral designs.
The Nike Country Belt will release on July 30, 2025, through Nike online. The two non-rhinestone versions will retail for $75, while the rhinestone variant is priced at $90. Check below for direct links to each belt, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Where to Buy the Nike Country Belt
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
