The ENTIRE History of Nike in 20 Minutes

#CompanyHistory #BusinessDocumentary #NikeHistory Nike origin story, told in full: a Stanford paper, a car trunk full of imported shoes, a waffle iron, a $35 logo and a $500 handshake. This documentary covers how Nike started, Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine, the Michael Jordan deal and the $5,000-a-night fine, Just Do It, Air Max, the Converse purchase, the Vaporfly and Kipchoge, and why the biggest sportswear brand on Earth is fighting to win its customers back. Nike earns about $46 billion a year, roughly $1,500 every second, more than Adidas and Puma combined. L.A. Gear, Starter and Converse all went bankrupt, and Nike bought what was left of Converse. In this documentary: Phil Knight's Stanford paper, Onitsuka Tiger, Blue Ribbon Sports, the $500 handshake, Bill Bowerman's waffle iron, the $35 Swoosh, Steve Prefontaine, the 1980 IPO at $22, Michael Jordan and the $5,000 fine, Just Do It, Air Max, Knight's 1998 speech, the Converse acquisition, the Vaporfly and Eliud Kipchoge, Colin Kaepernick, leaving Amazon, Elliott Hill's return and the tariffs of 2025. L.A. Gear could not catch Nike. Starter could not catch it. Converse could not catch it. Nike was never really about shoes. It ran on the run you skipped. The only question left is what happens when the guilt stops working. Play along: the video has four quiz moments, 3 trivia quizzes (waffle-iron rubber, the $5,000 fine, Kipchoge) and 1 debate quiz. Answer in the comments before the reveal. Figures are as of October 2026. CHAPTERS 0:00 Nike History: The Shoes by the Door 1:21 Phil Knight's Stanford Paper and the Onitsuka Deal 2:54 Bill Bowerman's Waffle Iron: How the Nike Waffle Sole Began 4:46 Steve Prefontaine and the Runner Behind Nike 6:19 How Nike Works: Selling the Person You Could Become 7:31 Michael Jordan Signs With Nike: The Rookie and the Banned Shoe 9:12 Just Do It: How the Slogan Was Born 10:36 Phil Knight's Confession: The Brand Had Failed 11:59 The Swoosh Everywhere: Air Max, Converse