Nike was established in the mid-60s by Bill Bowerman who was constantly seeking ways to give his athletes a competitive advantage and Phil Knight, a talented middle-distance runner from Portland, as Blue Ribbon Sports. Due to the fact that Bowerman and Knight each had full-time jobs, they needed someone to manage the growing requirements and asked Jeff Johnson to join them as the first full-time employee of Blue Ribbon Sports in 1965 who quickly became an invaluable utility man for the start-up company. He created the first product brochures, print ads and marketing materials, and even shot the photographs for the company’s catalogues. Johnson established a mail-order system, opened the first BRS retail store in Santa Monica, Ca., and managed shipping/receiving. He also designed several early Nike shoes, and even conjured up the name Nike in 1971. Around this same time Knight and Bowerman were ready to make the jump from being a footwear distributor to designing and manufacturing their own brand of athletic shoes. They selected an infectious logo today known internationally as the Swoosh, which was created by a graphic design student named Carolyn Davidson. The new Nike line of footwear debuted in 1972 and soon revolutionized the whole athletic shoes genre. The Nike formula is quite simple and based on three principles: To reduce weight, make it as comfortable as possible and add an up to date make-up with an advanced twist. This holds true for in and outdoor apparel as well as shoes and accessories. Besides innovative designs, Nike also invented lots of groundbreaking technology such as Nike Air shock absorption that has been copied by other brands but still stays unmatched until today. A few years ago, Nike launched an action sports sub brand entitled Nike 6.0 specially matched to the hardcore skateboarding crowd. Plus the Swoosh company is also known for originating top notch collaborations with contemporary artists such as Parra or Cassette Playa. They ain't talking about it, they JUST DO IT!