What was Nike originally called?

That swoosh on your feet? In 1964, it didn't exist. Phil Knight was just living every accounting major's secret dream: ditching the calculator for a wild scheme involving Japanese running shoes and a Plymouth Valiant. But long before Nike became a household name, Knight needed something else to put on the paperwork. The question is: what did he call his fledgling company?

Click below to answer.

Or scroll past the quiz to reveal the answer!

Reveal answer and learn more:

▼

The answer is: Nike

When Phil Knight pitched his wild idea to Bill Bowerman in 1964, he was facing Oregon's legendary track coach - a man who had transformed amateur athletics with his revolutionary training methods. Bowerman matched Knight's $500 investment and brought something even more valuable: the innovative mind that would soon transform running shoe design forever.

Armed with exclusive rights to sell Onitsuka Tiger shoes in the western U.S., Knight and Bowerman needed something to put on the bank paperwork. Blue Ribbon Sports was born - Knight claims he picked it because blue ribbons meant quality at county fairs.

What followed was pure startup mythology. Knight kept his accounting job while moonlighting as a weekend shoe warrior at track meets. Meanwhile, Bowerman went full mad scientist in his workshop, destroying perfectly good running shoes to make them better. His wife's waffle iron became the first casualty in the war for better soles – a kitchen appliance sacrifice that would eventually revolutionize athletic footwear.

For seven years, Blue Ribbon Sports played nice as Onitsuka's distributor. But success has a way of complicating relationships. As sales exploded, Onitsuka Tiger started getting shifty, and Knight decided it was time to go independent.

In 1971, they needed a name for their new shoe line. They had the logo – a swoosh designed by Carolyn Davidson for just $35 (the greatest bargain in design history). Their first employee, Jeff Johnson, dreamed up "Nike" – Greek goddess of victory, which beat out Knight's preference: "Dimension Six" (imagine those Jordan commercials).

By 1978, Blue Ribbon Sports officially became Nike, Inc., though BRS lives on as a corporate subsidiary. Which was probably for the best - "Air Dimension Six" just doesn't have the same ring to it.