The history of nike. Where Adidas, Nike and other sports brands are made (map)

How was Swoosh invented?

Caroline Davidson was a design student at the Portland state university. In 1969, she met Phil Knight while he was teaching at accounting courses, and promoted his company Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), which later became Nike. Knight knew that Davidson was looking for a part-time job to pay for oil painting classes, and offered to cooperate, putting her two dollars an hour.

With the development of the company, Phil Knight decided not just to resell sports shoes, purchased in Japan, and produce sneakers of their own design. In this regard, he asked Caroline to come up with an image of a patch that could be placed on sports shoes. Davidson suggested a "tick" which she thought was supposed to symbolize movement and speed. The "swoosh" also resembled a flapping wing, allegorically alluding to the new name of the Nike brand, given in honor of Greek goddess Nicky wins. Having finalized the logo that received approval, the girl received $ 35 for the design.

And Knight launched his sports brand with a "stroke" that became one of the most famous among the others (although Phil initially claimed that the logo did not excite him).

Who is Caroline Davidson?

At the time she came up with Swoosh, Caroline was still just a design student looking for a side job. After creating the logo for Nike, she remained with the company until 1975. After graduating from university, Davidson decided to quit her job to work from home as a freelancer, which she has been doing for 30 years.

Why was she only paid $35?

Caroline says she doesn't know how long she worked specifically on the logo for Nike, but at the end of the project, it turned out that she spent about 17.5 hours on it. For this, she was paid 35 dollars (after all, we remember that the girl was paid 2 dollars per hour). And although Davidson's brilliant idea was not appreciated at first, the company later decided to correct this unfortunate mistake by arranging a gala evening in honor of the designer. Phil Knight also personally gave Caroline one million dollars worth of shares and Golden ring with a Swoosh studded with diamonds.

Modest work, generous reward

Despite the fact that initially Davidson was paid only $35 for the legendary Swoosh, she was subsequently generously rewarded - a sea of ​​\u200b\u200bcustomers and one million dollars from the grateful Nike. Caroline's creation is a great example of how everything in the design world is connected and that any effort and effort can eventually pay off many times over.

How one of the most famous signs in the world was created for $35

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Today, the swoosh that represents Nike does not need any further introduction - it is recognizable by everyone. With this in mind, it is hard to imagine that the logo was once absent altogether. However, from 1963, when amateur runner Phil Knight took the first steps towards the future empire, and before the creation of the logo, it took 8 years. Perhaps the student who sold Japanese sneakers from the trunk of a car had no idea that one day his humble company would become one of the world's hottest sports brands.

The beginning of the way

The choice of direction was not accidental for Phil Knight. The young man was actively involved in sports, improved his skills and was interested in developments in this area. The lack of affordable athletic shoes was as acute for him as it was for anyone else. The market was occupied either by expensive foreign brands like Adidas, or cheap shoes that did not differ in quality and convenience. Knight seriously thought about finding alternatives, and, without thinking twice, went to Japan - the industry of this country was one of the objects of his interest at the university. The student's idea was to supply inexpensive Japanese sneakers to the United States, which would be available to a wide audience.

In 1962, Phil Knight went to Japan and entered into an agreement with a local company, and a year later he began selling the first batch in his homeland. At that time, his business was codenamed Blue Ribbon Sports, which the entrepreneur did not think too much about. At first, Knight advertised shoes for a familiar athlete, but soon a wave of interest in the products began to grow. Good profit and customer response led the team to think about own production. An additional argument in favor of this was the growing public fashion for healthy lifestyle life. However, to establish a new company, a more concise name and a memorable logo were required.

The birth of "swoosh"

The idea for the name "Nike" came from Knight's colleague Jeff Johnson, who had a dream about the Greek goddess Nike at night. Her image was one of the reference points for the birth of the emblem. With the future creator of the legendary logo, designer Carolyn Davidson, Knight met at the University of Portland. He periodically resorted to her services in the early stages of the business, and in 1971 he entrusted the student with a more important mission - the creation of a company logo. Among his requirements for the future emblem, Knight outlined its dynamism, good visual perception on shoes, and difference from other well-known brands.

The check mark was not Davidson's first idea - the girl created several sketches at once. According to legend, being dissatisfied with her work, the designer angrily scribbled on a piece of paper, as a result of which the “swoosh” appeared. One way or another, but the shareholders gave their preference to this option. Phil Knight himself took the image rather coldly, saying that this was not the limit of his dreams. Carolyn Davidson was paid only $35 for her work.

How the founder of the company would have been surprised if he knew that years later he would make himself a tattoo with a symbol that glorified him all over the world. And the logo designer will be rewarded with a precious Swoosh ring and 500 company shares, a huge, if belated, bonus. The exact amount of shares is still unknown, but today it exceeds one million dollars. Remembering this story, fans of the company often joke that freelancers should not be afraid to take on low-paying jobs. Who knows how things will turn out...

Semantic message

The new symbol first received different interpretations. According to Carolyn Davidson herself, the line depicts the wing of the goddess Nike, who gave the brand its name. AT Ancient Greece Nika symbolized victory and patronized, among other things, athletes. Shareholders initially saw a ribbon in the emblem. However, the company started with the creation of sneakers, which means that the goal was to associate the logo with running, speed, energy.

The name "swoosh", now known to the whole world, transmits sound when high speed(whistle of the wind). It has become a symbol of eternal and continuous movement. At the same time, the tick in conjunction with the slogan “Just do it” that appeared later was designed to stimulate athletes to action, new achievements and achievements. Nike is one of the few companies whose logo has its own unique name that is not associated with anything else.

Further development of the symbol

Despite the fact that shoes with the image went on sale almost immediately after its creation, the symbol officially became a trademark only in 1995. A simple and concise "swoosh" turned out to be one of the most persistent logos in history. For decades, it has remained virtually unchanged, apart from minor adjustments. In the original version, the swoosh had a black outline and internal transparency, and the name "Nike" was written over it in flowing cursive. After 7 years, the logo was finalized: the “swoosh” slightly changed its curve, underwent a slight blur and became black. The inscription "Nike" is located above the picture, and its font has become more restrained and symmetrical.

In the future, the logo was subjected to only very minor edits. A few years later, the font and symbol were slightly stretched, they began to use White color on a black background. And in 1995, the main event in the history of the logo took place - he lost the explanation "Nike", remaining just a tick. By that time, the emblem had become so popular and recognizable that there was no longer any need to refer to the company. It remains so to this day - it is unlikely that anyone who sees the famous "swoosh" on sportswear and shoes will not be able to identify the brand associated with it.

Nike logo today

Although the company never surpassed Adidas in terms of popularity among football players, Nike still gained the title of the world's No. 1 sports brand. And "swoosh" today is recognized as the most recognizable logo among buyers and athletes. It can be seen not only on sneakers, but also on shorts, T-shirts, jackets, caps, sports equipment. From time to time, the company holds promotions and releases products with different words and abbreviations above the "swoosh" - where the "Nike" inscription used to be. The traditional font is preserved.

The symbol was liked by many sports stars with whom the brand cooperates to this day. Wearing Nike clothes and shoes, athletes win prizes and set new world records. Choosing idols builds loyalty and trust among shoppers who instantly recognize the “tick”. The history of "swoosh" is proof that even the simplest and most uncomplicated image can acquire world fame and recognition.

AT recent times a wave of counterfeit or fake (from the English "fake" - cunning, deceit, fraud, forgery) has swept not only the Russian sales market, but has become a serious problem for manufacturers around the world. Brands of well-known sports firms are especially susceptible to the epidemic of counterfeiting. "Nike" is just a favorite of fake manufacturers. As the creator of specific professional clothing and footwear, Nike applies enhanced requirements and standards during the production process, since comfort and compliance with hygiene standards depend on sports results and the health of athletes. This is especially true for sports shoes. According to the representative Nike anti-counterfeiting Richard Stanwix 98% (!) Their shoes sold on the Internet are fake. Of course, manufacturers, as well as distributors of the original product, are struggling with this. We, the buyers, can also help them in this difficult task by buying a real product, not fakes.

In light of this, we would like to consider the main features by which you can distinguish original Nike sneakers from a fake and give you some useful tips.

Three types of fakes:

In the first case, probably the most harmless, customers are offered to buy products of companies from their official factories, which were rejected, or for some other reason, did not get into the official stores of the company.

Second option- A copy of something. If with normal casual wear this option can still be somehow implemented at the proper quality level, due to the fact that many products do not require special technological equipment, then with sports equipment everything is much more complicated. For its production it is necessary to use only high-quality materials and fabrics. They must meet all the requirements for them, be it density, wear resistance, strength, ability to pass air and moisture, etc. In addition, production is impossible without high-quality technological equipment that will ensure the implementation of all developments.

Third option- an ordinary fake, handicraft made on hastily using inferior materials.

How to distinguish a fake from the original?

In fact, everything is quite simple, follow simple instructions and pay attention to the little things. For illustration, a photo of Nike Air Max Skyline SI sneakers (original), Nike Air Max 90 (fake) and a photo of the same, but original model will be used.

• First of all, it is recommended to buy professional sports equipment in specialized stores that supply from official manufacturers. If there are no official suppliers of clothing of the desired brand in your city, you can try to find an online store selling the goods you are interested in. It is worth refraining from shopping in stock clothing stores, as there is a very high chance of buying counterfeit goods.

• If possible, before making a purchase, go to products webpage to see what a particular model actually looks like.

• It is recommended that you refrain from shopping in online stores that do not have the exact physical address. Serious online stores, as a rule, have representation in the real world.

• Be sure to be aware that real Nike Zoom BB III or Nike Zoom LeBbron VI shoes cannot cost $50-70, even with a super discount, dedicated to the day in memory of Mother Teresa. Quality and brand cost money.

• Pay attention to the places of the stitches - the seams should be even, made of the same type, quality and color of threads.

• On real products, the skin is always soft, evenly colored, without wrinkles and irregularities.

• Glued seams in sneakers should not have smudges and frozen drops of glue.

• Sneakers must be packed in a branded box. If the seller told you that there is no sneaker box, it was lost, delayed at customs, or aliens stole it, you should think about the advisability of making a purchase in this store.

• You should not look for the “real Nike from America” with dogs. All Nike production has long been moved to countries where labor is cheaper than in the States. However, no one canceled the quality control.

• There is one more detail that Nike is very particular about that should not be overlooked. This is a label sewn on inside shoe tongue. On branded shoes, it is stitched very neatly, and it displays information about the size, country of origin and Nike patents. Counterfeiters often consider the label an unnecessary luxury.

• Another one distinguishing characteristic- this is the sole. Outsole of Nike branded sneakers — matte, as it consists of a complex composite material. Manufacturers of fakes save on soles and use material with a large percentage of rubber. The more rubber in the sole, the more it shines.

• The next point is the AIR system. Most fakes don't have any air cushion at all. There is some visual similarity, similar to cameras from compressed air, but in reality it turns out to be voids that are pressed through when walking, killing both the sole and the foot. You should definitely refrain from buying basketball shoes on E-bay. E-bay is a graveyard of counterfeit goods. Registering an account there is a matter of two minutes, and they don’t check the reliability of sellers there in principle. The rescue of drowning people at a private auction is the work of the drowning people themselves.

And now let's look at everything clearly:

1. Workmanship

Original Nike Air Max Skyline SI Model:

An even seam, neatly sewn labels, the absence of “burrs” and glue stains, and even more so dried drops - this is the minimum that sneakers must comply with.

Fake Nike Air Max 90 (black-varsity red-metallic silver):

2. Quality of materials

Next, we look at the materials, the sole should not be too shiny, "plastic" and slippery, if there is a layer of foam, then it should be foam, and not a piece of plastic or rubber. The smell of being in a chemical plant should also make you immediately stop buying such products.

Original Nike Air Max 90 (black-varsity red-metallic silver):

Fake Nike Air Max 90 (black-varcity red-metallic silver):

If you put a fake and an original side by side, the differences are immediately evident. A fake copies the color scheme of the model and its shape, while the materials used are completely different, both in the main part and in the insert at the place of lacing, as well as the upper and internal parts sneaker.

3. Box

The presence of the box is also prerequisite, because You can often judge the originality of a product by the box. Her absence is reason enough to doubt it.
This is how the box for Nike branded shoes looks like:

The next difference between fake sneakers and the most difficult to check is the absence of compressed air chambers in the sole of the sneaker. The very famous Air system used in Nike sneakers. Other firms use similar technologies, but the names differ. The difficulty lies in the fact that to check you need to cut air chambers. In the original sneakers, they will burst with a characteristic cotton, because. where the air is under pressure. Thus, technologically fakes absolutely do not correspond to the originals. Which of course negatively affects not only the quality of shoes, but also your health.

5. "Made in China"

Also, do not look for sneakers made in the USA, Germany, England, etc. , because most of factories are concentrated in Asian countries, due to the low cost of production per unit of production, and quality control at all factories of a particular brand is the same. If your Nike sneakers say "Made in China" - there is no reason to worry: all the original sneakers produced by this company throughout its history have the same inscription.

6. Dimensions

A seller offering a full range of sizes for rare models is a sure sign that they want to sell you a fake.

7. Verified locations

The main rule that will help you avoid fakes is to buy sneakers only in trusted places, especially online stores, where it is often not possible to feel the product with your hands. Don't chase the low price, in most cases the result of such a purchase will disappoint you too quickly. The price level for certain models can always be tracked on the Internet on the websites of official manufacturers, along with the colors of the models that were produced at one time or another.

It is enough for a specialist to look at the label sewn to the tongue in order to answer the question for sure whether it is a fake or not. But it is often very difficult for an ordinary buyer to do this. Therefore, the main weapon is information. Do not fall for the bait of unscrupulous sellers! Enjoy the shopping!

Most American and European sportswear brands have moved their production to countries with cheap labor force. Even some Ukrainian and Russian enterprises, registering a brand abroad, sew clothes in China.

The history of this great German brand can be traced back to the birth of its founder, Adolf Dassler. After the First World War, the Dasslers decided to organize their own business, namely a shoe-making workshop. Already by 1925, Adi, as an avid football player, made himself the first pair of spiked shoes. It was forged for him by a local blacksmith, so the first boots were born. They turned out to be so comfortable that they began to be produced at the factory along with slippers.

In the late 40s, after the death of the head of the family, the brothers quarreled and divided the company. They divided the factories, each brother got one, agreed not to use the old name and logo of Dassler shoes. Adi decided to name his brand Addas and Rudy Ruda, but their names soon changed to Adidas and Puma respectively. The Dassler brand was successfully forgotten.

Columbia

Columbia Sportswear Company - American company manufactures and sells clothes for active rest(outdoor).

The company was founded by second-wave German emigrants from Jewish roots- Paul and Marie Lamfrom. The Columbia company was founded in 1937 in Portland and was engaged in the sale of hats. The Colombia Hat Company was named after the river of the same name, which flowed near the residence of the Lamfrom family.

The hats that Colombia sold were of poor quality, so Paul decided to start his own production, namely, sewing shirts and other simple work clothes. Later, the daughter of the founders made a fishing jacket with large quantity pockets. It was the first jacket in the company's product range, its sales brought some fame to the factory.

Nike Inc. is an American company, a world famous manufacturer of sporting goods. The headquarters is in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. The company was founded in 1964 by student Phil Knight. He was a middle distance runner for the University of Oregon. In those years, athletes had practically no choice in sports shoes. Adidas was expensive, about $ 30, and ordinary American sneakers cost $ 5, but my legs hurt from them.

To remedy the situation, Phil Knight came up with an ingenious scheme: order sneakers in Asian countries and sell them in the American market. At first, the company was called Blue Ribbon Sports and did not officially exist. Sneakers were sold literally from hands, or rather from Knight's van-minibus. He just stopped on the street and began to trade. During the year of its existence, the company sold sneakers for $ 8,000. Later, he came up with the Nike logo.

Nike is widely known for its "waffle" outsole, which allowed the shoe to be lighter and give a little more push while running. It was this invention that brought Nike to the forefront.

The history of Puma begins at the same time as the history of Adidas, as the founders of the brands are brothers. (See Adidas history). Rudolf founded his own company in 1948 - Puma . In 1960, the world saw the company's new logo, the image of the cougar, adored by many felines.

For many years the company worked exclusively for athletes. By the early 90s, Puma found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Consumers considered the brand imitative and inexpressive. The new management has put new goal- to make the Puma brand the most creative and desirable. A key element in the renaissance was the decision to design shoes and clothing aimed at narrow segments such as snowboarders, racing fans and yoga enthusiasts.

Reebok is an international sportswear and accessories company. The headquarters is located in the Boston suburb of Canton (Massachusetts). It is currently a subsidiary of Adidas.

The reason for the founding of the British company Reebok was the logical desire of English athletes to run faster. So in 1890, Joseph William Foster made the first spiked running shoes. Until 1895, Foster was engaged in the fact that he manually made shoes for top-level athletes.

In 1958 two of Foster's grandsons founded new company and call it after the African gazelle - Reebok. By 1981, Reebok's sales reach $1.5 million, but the most big success Reebok was in next year. Reebok introduces the first sports shoe specifically for women, the FreestyleTM fitness trainer.

sportmaster

Demix is a brand of sportswear and footwear created by the Sportmaster chain of stores (sporting goods in Ukraine and Russia). The company was originally founded in Russia in 1992. Sportmaster came to Ukraine in 1996.

The Demix trademark appeared in 1994. As you know, in China, making clothes is cheap and designing sportswear and shoes is inexpensive. So, cheap sportswear and shoes appeared on the shelves of Sportmaster. The price for Demix products is at least 50% lower than for global brands like Adidas or Nike.

Today we offer a look at the history of perhaps the most famous and beloved of the sports brands in the world - Nike. We are all familiar with the Nike swoosh logo, endorsed by a huge number of superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams, the list goes on and on. The famous “tick”, so well known and loved at the present time, started rather weakly as a logo, and as in any great history has gone from humble beginnings to an incredible future.

In 1971, Phil Knight, founder of Blue Ribbon Sports, hired University of Portland design student Carolyn Davidson to design a shoe logo. Davidson presented several designs to Knight, and while Knight didn't think the swoosh logo was a killer choice, he chose the symbol and felt that "it might become more and more popular over time." Davidson billed $35 for the work, but years later, after the Nike logo became known around the world, Knight sent the designer a diamond swoosh ring and a Nike stock envelope to express his gratitude.

Knight wanted to design the Nike logo for an emblem that was both simple, dynamic, and flexible. These words characterize the Nike logo, which has successfully evolved into one of the most influential and recognizable symbols around the world. The Nike swoosh represents the wing of the famous statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, who was the inspiration for many great and brave warriors. The brand was originally introduced as a "ribbon", but later it became known as "swoosh" (whistle of cut air), as this name accurately symbolizes the material from which Nike makes sports shoes.

In the spring of 1972, the first Nike shoes with a swoosh logo appeared on the market, and a few years later, in 1995, the logo was registered as a trademark of the company and became its corporate identity. The look we use today came nine years after the original logo was designed. Since then, the sign has been slightly changed - the check mark was slightly tilted, blurred and painted black.

Abstract Wing - significant symbol for a company involved in the creation of sports equipment and footwear. The logo has an exclusive mission: "to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world." The slogan: "Just do it" and the swoosh logo have become a way of life for many generations. The Nike identity story is an amazing example of how small symbol with a simple yet powerful design, can contribute to the success of the brand and turn the company into a global star.