The history of shoes would not be complete without talking about Nike shoes. This shoe manufacturer has changed the way we not only view athletic shoes but also how we view athletes. Nike's sponsorship of athletes created many of the sports heroes of the 1980s and 1990s, and Nike continues to bring new athletes into the limelight. The history of this company is truly a rags to riches tale.

Nike's Modest Beginnings
Nike originally was called Blue Ribbon Sports, or BRS. This small business sold Onitsuka Tiger shoes (a Japanese brand) out of the back of the company founders Philip Knight and Bill Boweman's car at local track meets. After a half decade of selling from their car, the founding fathers of BRS opened their first retail outlet in 1966 in Santa Monica, California. By 1971 the company dropped the Onitsuka Tiger line and launched their own shoe line with the official Nike symbol, the Swoosh. The Swoosh first appears on "Nike," which was a soccer cleat.

Nike - The Goddess of Victory
In 1978 BRS was officially renamed Nike, Inc. The name "Nike," which had christened their first original shoe design, and now was the banner head of their company, was derived from the Greek goddess of victory. A fitting name for this sports shoe line that would eventually capture over 50 percent of the U.S. athletic shoe market.

Victory was a theme that Nike lived by over the next four decades. To market their products they sponsored top athletes in a variety of sports. These athletes not only wore Nike products, but they also were the spokespeople for the Nike brand. Nike sponsorships brought many winning athletes into the spotlight and created athletic superheroes that kids, teens and adults around the globe idolized.

Nike Products
Nike is responsible for some of the most popular athletic footwear and equipment on the market. Their brands include Nike Golf, Nike+, Nike Skateboarding, Nike Pro, Air Jordan and Team Starter. They also own the subsidiaries of Cole Haan, Umbro, Hurly International and Converse. With such a huge presence in the athletic shoe world, if you have bought a pair of athletic shoes in the last thirty years, chances are you bought a Nike brand.