Some History For You Guys

Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knight's automobile. Nike produces a wide range of sports equipment. Their first products were track running shoes.

Nike's first acquisition was the upscale footwear company Cole Haan in 1988. Nike's first acquisition was the upscale footwear company Cole Haan in 1988.

So the selling price on a large chunk of Americana is 305 million dollars? That was the price Nike paid to buy Converse. Nike didn't just buy shoes, they bought years and years of history. The infamous "Chuck Taylor" sneakers have been around for decades. Although they were never intended to become the official shoe of the counter-culture, they did so, anyway.

Nike sells its product to more than 25,000 retailers in the U.S. (including Nike's own outlets and "Niketown" stores) and in approximately 160 countries in the world. The company also has a program called NIKEiD at nikeid.com, which allows customers to customize designs of some styles of Nike shoes and deliver them directly from manufacturer to the consumer. Nike sells its products in international markets through independent distributors, licensees, and subsidiaries.



Sources

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/NIKE-Inc-Company-History.html

http://www.juicycerebellum.com/converse.htm , by: Alex Sandell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc.