Over the past 37 years, the Nike brand has evolved into a successful multi-billion dollar company. It has also grown to become the world's largest distributor of athletic footwear and apparel. The company's products are sold in more than 180 countries worldwide and in 20,000 retail stores nationwide. Nike also operates overseas retail stores such as Nike Towns and outlet stores. Although Nike is involved in the design, development and marketing of the product; products are manufactured independently. In addition to its wide range of sports shoes and apparel, the company also sells sports equipment from the Nike and Bauer brands, casual clothing and footwear from the Cole Haan brand, and the Sports Specialties line of headwear. The company was originally founded by Phil Knight, a Stanford business administration graduate who had been a member of the track team as an undergraduate at the University of Oregon. He founded a company called "Blue Ribbon Sports" which sold shoes imported from Japan to the US market. His future partner Bill Bowerman was a nationally respected track and field coach at the University of Oregon. Bowerman and Knight became partners in the early 1970s, when Knight ended his association with the Japanese company after a disagreement. Knight and Bowerman were ready to make the leap from being a footwear distributor to designing and manufacturing their own brand of sneakers. They selected a brand now known internationally as “Swoosh,” created by a Portland State University graphic design student named Carolyn Davidson. The brand's products have always been innovative and made a great impression on the people who used them. The company's success comes from their consistent and innovative design...... middle of paper ......on. But a group of executives convinced Knight that football was the future of the company. Today, soccer sales amount to nearly $1 billion, or 25% of the global market” (p.80). Collectively, Nike was very dominant in the 1990s due to its massive sales in domestic and international markets. The company branched out into the sports equipment industry and aimed to extend the company to the marketing of sports balls, protective clothing, glasses and watches. Additionally, the company has hired its next superstar spokesperson. Nikebiz (2010) stated: “In 1996, Nike Golf acquired a highly talented but unproven young golfer named Eldrick “Tiger” Woods for an estimated $5 million per year. Competitors laughed and critics howled at Nike's 'madness', until Tiger won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 shots.” The golf phenom eventually broke many records and won numerous tournaments.