Nike is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company , headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman, a track-and-field coach at the University of Oregon, and his former student Phil Knight. They opened their first retail outlet in 1966 and launched the Nike brand shoe in 1972. The company was renamed Nike, Inc., in 1978 . By the early 21st century, Nike had retail outlets and distributors in more than 170 countries.
The company takes its name from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Blazers, Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, Air Max, Foamposite, Nike Skateboarding. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment.
Nike expanded and diversified its product line through numerous acquisitions, including the shoe companies Cole Haan and Converse , the sports-equipment producer Canstar Sports, Inc., and the athletic apparel and equipment company Umbro (later sold). In 1996 the company created Nike ACG (“all-conditions gear”), which markets products for extreme sports such as snowboarding and mountain biking. Nike began selling sports-technology accessories, including portable heart-rate monitors and high-altitude wrist compasses.
Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes like Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Roger Federer, and Tiger Woods, and sports teams around the world, with the highly recognized trademarks of "Just Do It" and the Swoosh logo.. The Nike Town chain stores pay tribute to these and other company spokespersons while offering consumers a full range of Nike products.