Nike
A brand so big you’d be forgiven for forgetting them, no brand encapsulates American sportswear quite like
the Swoosh. Founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, the American
brand started out as a distributor for Onitsuka Tiger product before moving into creating its own sportswear
in 1971. Thanks to a slew of effective marketing campaigns, the brand rapidly took a huge share of the
American sportswear market. When a 1988 campaign unveiled their now-legendary ‘Just Do It’ slogan,
Nike captured the American spirit of perseverance and determination. In the 30 years that have passed
since then, the brand has accomplished so much that it would be impossible to summarize in a single
paragraph. Put simply: Without Nike, there would be no sneaker culture.
