Nike Release Dates

Nike was founded on May 30th, 1971 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. It originally started off as Blue Ribbon Sports on January 25th, 1964. Originating in Oregon, the company draws its name from the Greek goddess of victory.

The iconic Swoosh logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson and was first used by Nike on June 18, 1971. It was featured on Nike’s first running sneaker, the Waffle Racer aka the “Moon Shoe.” The original waffle sole design was created by Bill Bowerman using a regular waffle iron for the mold. Its follow-up silhouette, the Nike Cortez debuted a year later, in 1972, and is one of the most iconic sneakers of all-time. It was even immortalized in the film Forrest Gump as the character wears the sneaker during his multiple cross-country runs in the USA.

Nike debuted its first basketball sneaker, the Nike Blazer in 1973. The iconic Nike Air Force 1 followed in 1982 and also introduced the first six basketball-sponsored athletes wearing the sneaker on-court in the NBA. Those players are: Moses Malone, Mychal Thompson, Michael Cooper, Jamal Wilkes, Bobby Jones and Calvin Natt. Since its inception, the Air Force 1 has become one of the most popular sneakers of all-time, with its all-white and all-black iterations serving as mainstay staples for everyday use.

The Swoosh has been the home to various athletes from all sports genres throughout the years, launching the careers of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Paul Rodriguez, Mike Trout, Ken Griffey Jr. and Deion Sanders to name a few. Other athletes that have had their own signature sneakers at Nike include Kobe Bryant, Eric Koston, Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Bo Jackson and countless others.