... by a man called Bill Bowerman. Jeff Johnson (runner) joined Knight and Bowerman's "Blue Ribbon" Sports Company as its first full-time employee. They sold shoes out of the back of his van at high school track meets in 1965. In 1966 Johnson opened the company's first retail outlet in a small building at 3107 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, California. Jeff Johnson is credited with giving Nike its name, as it came about one night via a dream he had. Prefontaine, the first major track athlete to wear Nike product had significant influence on the design of Nike's running shoes. His strong spirit and renowned competitive obsession left a permanent mark on the company. Nike's mission is "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world." Innovation is a particularly important part of Nike technology. Their mission has always been to provide a competitive edge, to help athletes perform ...

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