Case: NikePhil Knight and Bill Bowerman

Case: NikePhil Knight and Bill Bowerman met at the University of Oregon in 1957. Five years later, they formed Blue Ribbon Sports to manufacture high-quality running shoes. In 1963, they began selling Tiger shoes—manufactured by Onitsuka Tiger in Japan—out of cars at track meets in the United States. The company became Nike in 1972, named for the Greek goddess of victory.