Despite being developed for athletic use, the top manufacturers of athletic shoes uncovered a goldmine when Nike shoes became more popular among normal folk than “real” athletes. Today, you are just as likely to see Air Max shoes on the feet of everyone from infants to mall walking great grandparents as you are on NBA superstars. However, Nike was not an overnight, as its origins date back to humble beginnings during the early 1960s.
It is often funny to think about the origins of Nike and how a brand of sneakers could become so pervasive among people from all walks of life. But that is the power of celebrity, particularly highly visible athletes. When Blue Ribbon Sports, the company that would become Nike, Inc. in 1978, started producing athletic shoes with the iconic Swoosh in 1972, they were the first sneaker company to incorporate durable leather as its primary structural component. At the time, the most popular basketball shoe were the canvas top Converse All Star. When you compare the two, it is no wonder that the All Star would quickly fall out of fashion.
By 1982, with the introduction of the Nike Air Force I, Nike shoes had secured a considerable foothold on the sneaker industry. When Nike introduced the Nike Air Max in 1987, they could have never foreseen their shoes becoming such a success that, 26 years later, they would be unleashing the Air Max Plus 2013. Although certain versions of the Air Max, such as the Air Stab and Air Structure Triax 91, were not labeled with the Air Max moniker, they are considered as part of the long running line of Nike Air Max shoes.
While Nike shoes continue to grow in popularity, especially among youth, between the Air Jordan and Air Max, the Nike Swoosh has become one of the most recognizable logos in the world. After all, when a logo becomes more recognizable than the Golden Arches, you now you have an icon on your hands.