Nike

Nike is one of the leading American sportswear suppliers across the globe. The company markets its products under brand names like Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Air Jordan, Team Starter, apart from its own brand. The Nike footwear line includes basketball shoes, football shoes, running shoes and trainers, which are available under Air Max, Nike Shox, Jordan, Nike+ brands. The Nike advertising campaigns includes leading athletes such as Roger Federer, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Maria Sharapova, Lance Armstrong, among others.

The brand acquired its name from the legendary Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Founded in 1947 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, today Nike Inc is one of the top brands in athletic shoes, apparel, sports equipment and accessories. Knight worked on generating and managing business, while Bowerman worked towards enhancing the designs of the athletic footwear. Bowerman’s key concern was to make the running shoes for athletes as light as possible. He believed that making lightweight shoes would reduce the sores on the feet of the athletes, as well as ensure that the shoe weight wouldn’t eat away the athletes’ energy. Working towards this end, he experimented with the idea of using waffle-ironed rubber for making an innovative sole for footwear that would have a grip, yet would be lightweight. The further enhancements in the "Waffle Trainer" were responsible for a surge in the company’s growth. One of the Nike’s top-selling designs, the Coretz training shoe was the creation of Bowerman. Till date, Nike has continued with the tradition of manufacturing lightweight and high-quality shoes and sports accessories.