Nike Shoes in Uganda

It all started with Crazy Idea - the dream of a 24-year-old boy from Oregon to change his life and leave his mark on history. Phil Knight, a young Stanford graduate, borrowed a couple hundred dollars from his father, took a chance - and revolutionized the world of athletic shoes. Nike's creators met in 1957 at Oregon State University. Bill Bowerman is an athletics coach and freshman Phil Knight is a middle distance runner. The two men who are passionate about sports immediately hit it off. Bill Bowerman has trained many Olympic champions from university students with a focus on their all-round development, not just physical training. In 1972, he was invited to take over as coach of the US Olympic Athletics Team. After the death of the great coach, he was honored with his own bust in the National Hall of Fame. Phil Knight entered the University of Oregon to join the legendary coach's team. Bill Bowerman taught the young athlete not to focus on the result and improve his team skills. After university, Phil entered Stanford, where he defended his Nike Shoes in Uganda  term paper on "Prospects for the development of production in Japan." The student was inspired by the idea of ​​cooperation with Japanese manufacturers. He realized that exporting inexpensive running shoes to the United States could be a good alternative to expensive shoes for professional athletes. At that time, ordinary cheap sneakers were uncomfortable and bulky, but they cost only $ 5 versus $ 30 for expensive ones. Phil Knight decided to change the situation and compete with brands from Germany in the field of sports equipment. Bill Bowerman celebrated the spirit of competition and teamwork - the principles that later formed the basis of the corporate culture of the Nike brand. He was an innovator and strived to improve everything, including sports shoes and equipment. For his students, he created lighter shoes to achieve records. He invented a special coating for treadmills that absorbed shock and protected athletes from injury. In 1962, the student traveled to Japan, where he was contracted to import Tiger sneakers into the United States. On the fly, Knight came up with the name of the company he represents - Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1963, the first batch of 300 sneakers from Japan went on sale. Phil used his parents' laundry as a warehouse. In 1964, Knight invites Bill Bowerman to cooperate on a full partnership basis. A coach and a former student put in $ 500 each and shake hands. Their business is based on personal contacts - Bill and Phil sell the first batch of sneakers to familiar athletes, trainers, talking about the advantages of lightweight and comfortable shoes. They made about $ 8,000 by reselling 300 pairs. On the resale of 300 pairs, they earned about $ 8,000. After a year, the company begins to expand. Former Knight varsity rival Jeff Johnson becomes Blue Ribbon Sports' first full-time employee. He drives his van to athletics competitions and sells Tiger sneakers to athletes. Along the way, he asks athletes what kind of shoes they would like to buy, gaining invaluable information for creating Nike's market strategy. Jeff dreamed of the goddess of victory Nick, after whom the sneakers were named. Jeff is the author of the brand name: in 1965, he dreamed of the winged goddess of victory, Nick, after whom the partners decided to name their sneakers. Already in 1966, Johnson began to sew shoes in the first Blue Ribbon Sports workshop. A small space in Santa Monica, where the former athlete designs the first prototypes, was also the first retail point of sale. The first pair, handcrafted by the company, are "marathon runners" with an innovative nylon upper instead of classic leather. The lightweight shoe is designed specifically for running and, unlike conventional materials, does not crack in the sun. In 1969, the company's business went up: 20 employees, several retail stores, $ 300,000 in turnover. Phil Knight decides to give up his promotion to an assistant professor at the University of Portland and devotes himself entirely to a fast-growing brand, remaining a simple teacher. https://jiji.ug/shoes/nike