History of Nike
Nike was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, initially as a distributor of Japanese athletic shoes. The company rebranded as Nike in 1971, adopting the swoosh logo and building its own product line. The name was drawn from the Greek goddess of victory. Nike went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1980 and expanded internationally through the decade that followed.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Nike grew its market share through endorsement deals with high-profile athletes including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods. The brand developed proprietary footwear technologies and diversified into apparel, equipment, and accessories. By the late 1990s, Nike faced sustained criticism over labour conditions at supplier factories in Asia, including reports of low wages and poor working environments, which prompted ongoing scrutiny of its supply chain practices.
In more recent years, Nike shifted toward direct-to-consumer retail, digital platforms, and lifestyle-oriented product lines. The company contracts manufacturing across a network of factories in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, and other countries, employing millions of workers indirectly through this supply chain. It has published supplier lists and third-party audit reports in response to transparency demands from labour rights groups.
Nike maintains a commercial presence in Israel, operating stores and sponsoring Israeli sports teams and athletes. The company reports annual revenues of over $50 billion and sells products in more than 190 countries. It has faced calls from consumer activists to address its operations in Israel in the context of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.