The Legend of Nike

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Legend has it Phil Knight had a dream that Nike was going to be the blue ribbon Dimension Sixes. This wasn't intended to be Nike, this was intended to be the name of the model of the football cleat. The other people are throwing out the Bengal, the Falcon, you know, all the naming ideas. They're not coming up with a name for the company. And then the night before they need to finally drop dead, give the name ofthe shoes to the factory.

Nike — it’s perhaps the most iconic and most prolific brand of the modern era. On any given day, swooshes adorn the feet of more people on earth than any other footwear company — by a long shot.

If you read Shoe Dog or watched Air, you may think you know its history. But Shoe Dog ends in 1980, and Air… well let’s just say it’s an enjoyable piece of fiction. And it turns out (as always) that the real story is filled with far more drama, twists and business lessons than either of those works.

We’ve been wanting to cover Nike for a long time, and thanks to our LPs who voted to choose this episode it’s finally here. So lace up your Vaporflys, Air Maxes, Dunks or Jordans (or your Monarchs, hey we don’t judge), head out for a long run or walk and enjoy!

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