1 00:00:01,697 --> 00:00:03,742 [intense music] 2 00:00:03,742 --> 00:00:07,050 [Narrator] In a small town in Germany 1949, 3 00:00:07,050 --> 00:00:09,618 one man is attempting to start over 4 00:00:09,618 --> 00:00:11,359 after a bitter family feud 5 00:00:11,359 --> 00:00:14,144 tears his successful sneaker business apart. 6 00:00:14,144 --> 00:00:16,364 Rudolf and Adi, the Dassler brothers. 7 00:00:16,364 --> 00:00:19,758 They were together for a number of years making footwear, 8 00:00:19,758 --> 00:00:22,761 and then Rudolf created a factory on the other side 9 00:00:22,761 --> 00:00:26,635 of the river and created the brand Puma. 10 00:00:26,722 --> 00:00:29,333 And I guess he's done kind of well for himself. 11 00:00:29,333 --> 00:00:32,162 [Narrator] Fueled by a deep desire to outdo his brother, 12 00:00:32,249 --> 00:00:34,686 Adi is determined to make a sneaker different 13 00:00:34,686 --> 00:00:37,037 from anything else on the market. 14 00:00:37,037 --> 00:00:38,386 Everyone thinks that the stripes 15 00:00:38,386 --> 00:00:39,735 are just part of the branding, 16 00:00:39,735 --> 00:00:41,563 but they actually serve a purpose. 17 00:00:41,563 --> 00:00:44,131 Think of it as being the skeleton of the shoe, 18 00:00:44,131 --> 00:00:46,089 giving it extra strength. 19 00:00:46,089 --> 00:00:47,569 [Narrator] This signature feature 20 00:00:47,569 --> 00:00:51,225 will go on to define a billion dollar global brand. 21 00:00:51,225 --> 00:00:54,793 Adidas transcended footwear to an extent 22 00:00:54,793 --> 00:00:57,753 that I don't think anyone could have foreseen. 23 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,364 [Narrator] And it'll inspire an ambitious former track star 24 00:01:00,364 --> 00:01:03,106 and his coach to get into the game. 25 00:01:03,106 --> 00:01:04,890 Phil Knight was highly competitive. 26 00:01:04,890 --> 00:01:06,718 Bill Bowerman was always looking for ways 27 00:01:06,718 --> 00:01:08,764 to improve performance. 28 00:01:08,764 --> 00:01:10,896 He loved sort of deconstructing the footwear, 29 00:01:10,896 --> 00:01:12,724 figuring out how to redesign them. 30 00:01:12,724 --> 00:01:14,335 [Narrator] Together, they'll build 31 00:01:14,422 --> 00:01:17,033 one of the most iconic companies of all time. 32 00:01:17,033 --> 00:01:19,340 You know, this one's not bad. 33 00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:21,255 It looks like a whoosh of air. 34 00:01:24,823 --> 00:01:26,608 Nike was born. 35 00:01:26,608 --> 00:01:28,784 [Narrator] Their groundbreaking creations... 36 00:01:28,784 --> 00:01:31,743 Bill Bowerman looked at a waffle iron 37 00:01:31,743 --> 00:01:34,355 and saw a new kind of running shoe. 38 00:01:34,355 --> 00:01:35,921 [Narrator] Ignite a war... 39 00:01:35,921 --> 00:01:37,923 Find out who they are. 40 00:01:37,923 --> 00:01:40,143 We're being sued by Adidas. 41 00:01:40,143 --> 00:01:42,058 [Narrator] That will elevate sneakers... 42 00:01:42,058 --> 00:01:44,539 They see that this could go beyond just sport. 43 00:01:44,539 --> 00:01:46,454 This can hit pop culture 44 00:01:46,541 --> 00:01:49,500 and really become part of the fabric of the way we dress. 45 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:52,286 [Narrator] To a multibillion dollar phenomenon. 46 00:01:52,286 --> 00:01:54,201 You would see them on celebrities, 47 00:01:54,201 --> 00:01:55,811 you would see them on hip hop artists, 48 00:01:55,811 --> 00:01:57,552 you would see them on actors. 49 00:01:58,857 --> 00:02:01,556 It's no longer just a sneaker, it's a lifestyle. 50 00:02:01,643 --> 00:02:03,775 [dramatic music] 51 00:02:21,489 --> 00:02:25,188 [Narrator] First invented in 1876, early sneakers 52 00:02:25,188 --> 00:02:27,364 were much different than what they are today. 53 00:02:27,451 --> 00:02:29,671 Shoes used to be made out of wood 54 00:02:29,671 --> 00:02:31,063 and materials like that, 55 00:02:31,063 --> 00:02:33,457 so you could hear when people would walk. 56 00:02:33,457 --> 00:02:35,807 So when sneakers first came out and they had the rubber outsole, 57 00:02:35,807 --> 00:02:37,374 you could literally sneak up on people. 58 00:02:37,374 --> 00:02:38,854 So that's why they're called sneakers. 59 00:02:38,854 --> 00:02:41,987 Early sneakers and cleats had thin soles. 60 00:02:41,987 --> 00:02:44,425 Not a lot of support, not a ton of grip. 61 00:02:44,425 --> 00:02:46,427 [Narrator] Even by the 1960s, 62 00:02:46,427 --> 00:02:49,821 they're still something mostly worn by professional athletes. 63 00:02:49,908 --> 00:02:51,606 You had sneakers for tennis, 64 00:02:51,606 --> 00:02:54,174 for track and field, for basketball, for soccer. 65 00:02:54,174 --> 00:02:56,088 They weren't the most comfortable pair of shoes 66 00:02:56,088 --> 00:02:59,527 to wear, but they served the purpose. 67 00:02:59,527 --> 00:03:03,618 Well, you have Converse as far as like, a basketball shoe. 68 00:03:03,618 --> 00:03:06,795 Puma, they're known for soccer and track and field. 69 00:03:06,795 --> 00:03:09,580 [Narrator] But one brand emerges as a clear favorite. 70 00:03:09,580 --> 00:03:12,017 Adidas was seen as the most comfortable shoe 71 00:03:12,017 --> 00:03:14,368 a professional athlete could wear. 72 00:03:14,368 --> 00:03:16,761 So more and more athletes started wearing them. 73 00:03:16,761 --> 00:03:20,287 Adidas starts making track and field shoes for Olympians 74 00:03:20,287 --> 00:03:23,290 and soccer cleats for the German national team. 75 00:03:23,290 --> 00:03:26,771 They became so popular that in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, 76 00:03:26,771 --> 00:03:30,166 75% of the runners were wearing Adidas. 77 00:03:32,124 --> 00:03:33,822 [Narrator] And they've been the preferred brand 78 00:03:33,909 --> 00:03:36,825 for former track star and Stanford NBA student, 79 00:03:36,825 --> 00:03:38,870 Phil Knight. 80 00:03:38,870 --> 00:03:40,132 Phil Knight was a walk-on 81 00:03:40,132 --> 00:03:41,960 for the University of Oregon track team. 82 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:43,658 He always ran in Adidas 83 00:03:43,658 --> 00:03:46,661 because essentially, they were the only game in town. 84 00:03:46,748 --> 00:03:51,753 Adidas were a premium shoe, and they were about $150. 85 00:03:51,753 --> 00:03:53,885 And he knew Adidas were expensive, 86 00:03:53,885 --> 00:03:56,192 and he knew that a lot of the kids, 87 00:03:56,279 --> 00:03:59,282 high school and college running culture, couldn't afford it. 88 00:03:59,369 --> 00:04:00,892 Phil Knight at that time realized 89 00:04:00,892 --> 00:04:02,894 that not everyone was an Olympic athlete 90 00:04:02,981 --> 00:04:04,679 or a World Cup soccer player, 91 00:04:04,679 --> 00:04:07,769 but he felt like everyone deserved an athletic sneaker. 92 00:04:07,769 --> 00:04:09,901 [Narrator] And this idea is the inspiration 93 00:04:09,901 --> 00:04:12,339 for his thesis paper in 1962. 94 00:04:15,255 --> 00:04:17,126 His thesis paper was titled, 95 00:04:17,126 --> 00:04:19,650 "Can Japanese Sports Shoes Do to German Sports Shoes 96 00:04:19,650 --> 00:04:22,653 What Japanese Cameras Did to German Cameras?" 97 00:04:22,653 --> 00:04:25,352 At the time, everything that was made Japan, 98 00:04:25,439 --> 00:04:27,179 there tends to be a reputation 99 00:04:27,179 --> 00:04:29,791 of high quality and engineering. 100 00:04:31,401 --> 00:04:34,970 Essentially realizing that the Japanese imports 101 00:04:34,970 --> 00:04:37,799 of the cameras were making so much more money 102 00:04:37,799 --> 00:04:42,412 for less price per unit and overtaking the German cameras. 103 00:04:42,412 --> 00:04:44,501 So his idea was perhaps 104 00:04:44,501 --> 00:04:47,025 Japanese sneakers could do the same thing. 105 00:04:47,112 --> 00:04:48,288 [Narrator] During his research, 106 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:50,246 Knight discovers a unique brand of sneakers 107 00:04:50,246 --> 00:04:52,727 being sold in Japan. 108 00:04:52,727 --> 00:04:55,556 Onitsuka Tigers had created what he truly believed 109 00:04:55,556 --> 00:04:56,948 is the perfect running shoe. 110 00:04:56,948 --> 00:04:58,950 It was incredibly light 111 00:04:58,950 --> 00:05:00,778 and had all these air holes that would 112 00:05:00,865 --> 00:05:02,432 circulate air around the foot 113 00:05:02,432 --> 00:05:04,260 and prevent blisters from forming. 114 00:05:04,260 --> 00:05:06,088 He basically saw these sneakers 115 00:05:06,088 --> 00:05:08,177 and he thought someone could sell them State-side 116 00:05:08,177 --> 00:05:10,484 because no one else was really doing that. 117 00:05:10,484 --> 00:05:13,095 [Narrator] By 1964, Knight decides 118 00:05:13,095 --> 00:05:16,011 to turn his homework into a business opportunity. 119 00:05:17,317 --> 00:05:18,622 Phil Knight wasn't the best runner, 120 00:05:18,622 --> 00:05:19,841 but he went up against 121 00:05:19,928 --> 00:05:21,408 some of the best in the business. 122 00:05:21,408 --> 00:05:22,887 World record holders, 123 00:05:22,974 --> 00:05:25,194 future runners that were gonna be in the Olympics. 124 00:05:25,194 --> 00:05:28,328 And this probably gave him the drive that he needed. 125 00:05:28,328 --> 00:05:29,416 There was no stopping. 126 00:05:29,416 --> 00:05:31,679 He knew he was onto something. 127 00:05:31,679 --> 00:05:34,334 He really wants to take Japanese footwear 128 00:05:34,334 --> 00:05:36,640 that is at a lower production cost 129 00:05:36,727 --> 00:05:38,860 and sometimes higher quality. 130 00:05:38,860 --> 00:05:42,472 Bring them to the states and undercut Adidas. 131 00:05:44,213 --> 00:05:46,476 Funny thing is, like many entrepreneurs, 132 00:05:46,476 --> 00:05:49,305 he has this vision and belief, 133 00:05:49,305 --> 00:05:52,700 but he has zero experience in the shoe market. 134 00:05:52,700 --> 00:05:55,833 Yes, hello, I'd like to make an international call to Japan. 135 00:05:55,833 --> 00:05:57,313 He's not a salesman, 136 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:58,836 he's more of an athlete than a businessman. 137 00:05:58,836 --> 00:06:00,664 It was just, like, a lot of fortitude for someone 138 00:06:00,664 --> 00:06:02,274 that was fresh out of school 139 00:06:02,274 --> 00:06:05,843 and a lot of self-confidence to be able to say, 140 00:06:05,843 --> 00:06:07,105 I can sell these shoes. 141 00:06:07,105 --> 00:06:08,498 Yes, I'm the CEO, 142 00:06:08,629 --> 00:06:10,457 and we're interested in potentially distributing 143 00:06:10,457 --> 00:06:11,893 your sneakers here in America. 144 00:06:13,460 --> 00:06:16,898 He's audacious, he's not the CEO of anything, 145 00:06:16,898 --> 00:06:19,422 yet here he is claiming to be the CEO 146 00:06:19,422 --> 00:06:22,730 of this sneaker company just to grab the attention 147 00:06:22,730 --> 00:06:24,819 of this Japanese sneaker business. 148 00:06:24,819 --> 00:06:26,037 To have this idea 149 00:06:26,124 --> 00:06:29,954 and sell it to a Japanese sneaker company, 150 00:06:29,954 --> 00:06:32,870 who at that point was probably like, who is this kid? 151 00:06:32,870 --> 00:06:36,526 So he's convincing them that he should be the distributor 152 00:06:36,613 --> 00:06:38,920 and they go, what's the name of your company? 153 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:40,095 The name? 154 00:06:41,662 --> 00:06:43,446 He had all these track ribbons 155 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:45,405 hanging on his wall, and on a whim, 156 00:06:45,492 --> 00:06:47,363 he comes up with the name. 157 00:06:47,450 --> 00:06:49,278 [Narrator] Knight's company will one day 158 00:06:49,278 --> 00:06:52,281 be the largest sneaker brand in the world, 159 00:06:52,368 --> 00:06:55,719 producing 1.6 billion shoes a year, 160 00:06:55,806 --> 00:06:59,201 selling 26 pairs every second. 161 00:06:59,201 --> 00:07:03,074 A company the likes of which the world has never seen. 162 00:07:03,161 --> 00:07:07,122 A true icon, a true mega brand that built America, 163 00:07:07,122 --> 00:07:09,777 the company that we know and love... 164 00:07:13,128 --> 00:07:16,740 Blue Ribbon, the Blue Ribbon Sports Company. 165 00:07:18,612 --> 00:07:19,961 Y'all ever heard of that one? 166 00:07:26,228 --> 00:07:28,230 [Narrator] But after landing the exclusive rights 167 00:07:28,317 --> 00:07:30,537 to distribute Onitsuka Tiger running sneakers 168 00:07:30,537 --> 00:07:31,973 in North America, 169 00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:34,715 Knight's having trouble getting them on shelves. 170 00:07:34,715 --> 00:07:37,065 He's going to all of these sports equipment stores 171 00:07:37,065 --> 00:07:39,415 where he's hearing the same message over and over again. 172 00:07:39,415 --> 00:07:41,025 Thanks, but no thanks. 173 00:07:41,025 --> 00:07:43,724 The world really doesn't need another running shoe. 174 00:07:45,029 --> 00:07:47,118 Everyone knew Adidas, they trusted their products. 175 00:07:47,118 --> 00:07:48,816 They saw them on the best athletes, 176 00:07:48,903 --> 00:07:50,992 so he had to do something different. 177 00:07:52,907 --> 00:07:55,170 [Narrator] Desperate, Knight turns to his former coach 178 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:57,825 and mentor for help. 179 00:07:57,912 --> 00:08:00,480 He knew exactly who to go to to help sell these sneakers. 180 00:08:06,007 --> 00:08:08,575 Bill Bowerman is a legendary track coach 181 00:08:08,575 --> 00:08:10,446 at the University of Oregon. 182 00:08:10,446 --> 00:08:12,448 He was always looking for ways 183 00:08:12,535 --> 00:08:14,581 to improve his runner's physical 184 00:08:14,581 --> 00:08:16,670 and psychological performance. 185 00:08:16,670 --> 00:08:19,020 He wanted to make sure that they had the right materials, 186 00:08:19,107 --> 00:08:23,633 they had the right products to compete at the highest level. 187 00:08:23,633 --> 00:08:25,113 [Narrator] Knight's hoping Bowerman 188 00:08:25,113 --> 00:08:27,028 will be his first sale. 189 00:08:27,028 --> 00:08:28,638 So, what do you think? 190 00:08:30,901 --> 00:08:33,556 [Narrator] But Bowerman has another idea. 191 00:08:33,556 --> 00:08:35,427 How about you cut me in on the deal? 192 00:08:36,733 --> 00:08:39,214 Bill Bowerman was a force to be reckoned with. 193 00:08:39,214 --> 00:08:41,172 He realized that, here's an opportunity 194 00:08:41,172 --> 00:08:44,262 in this new, upstart company's footwear, 195 00:08:44,349 --> 00:08:46,569 that could be a very well game changer. 196 00:08:46,569 --> 00:08:47,701 50/50. 197 00:08:47,701 --> 00:08:49,877 [intense music] 198 00:08:54,272 --> 00:08:56,100 [Narrator] It's 1964 199 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:58,320 and after approaching his former track coach 200 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,584 to be a potential buyer of his imported sneakers, 201 00:09:01,584 --> 00:09:04,282 Phil Knight is hit with a curve ball. 202 00:09:04,282 --> 00:09:05,893 How about you cut me in on the deal? 203 00:09:07,285 --> 00:09:08,809 You'd have to put up half the money. 204 00:09:10,462 --> 00:09:11,463 How much? 205 00:09:11,594 --> 00:09:12,900 $500. 206 00:09:14,989 --> 00:09:16,512 I think I can go for that. 207 00:09:18,296 --> 00:09:19,515 Yeah. 208 00:09:20,821 --> 00:09:22,823 Phil Knight, you know, he seemed to be someone 209 00:09:22,823 --> 00:09:25,695 who was just very driven, 210 00:09:25,695 --> 00:09:27,654 quite articulate on what he wanted. 211 00:09:27,654 --> 00:09:29,090 He's seeing a void 212 00:09:29,177 --> 00:09:31,353 and he's seeing a need in an industry 213 00:09:31,353 --> 00:09:34,356 that wasn't providing the needs to better himself 214 00:09:34,356 --> 00:09:36,619 and his fellow athletes. 215 00:09:36,619 --> 00:09:38,795 He's surrounding himself with smarter people than him 216 00:09:38,882 --> 00:09:41,102 and more innovative people than him. 217 00:09:41,102 --> 00:09:43,539 So Knight drives around the Pacific Northwest, 218 00:09:43,539 --> 00:09:46,716 goes to track meets, meets the coaches, meets the athletes, 219 00:09:46,716 --> 00:09:49,806 and he's selling these shoes out of the trunk of his car. 220 00:09:49,806 --> 00:09:51,852 [Narrator] Despite selling 1,300 pairs 221 00:09:51,852 --> 00:09:53,767 of sneakers in their first year, 222 00:09:53,767 --> 00:09:56,944 Blue Ribbon only grosses $8,000, 223 00:09:56,944 --> 00:10:01,383 leaving the partners $11,000 in debt by 1965. 224 00:10:01,470 --> 00:10:03,124 So Phil Knight is borrowing 225 00:10:03,211 --> 00:10:05,343 from his friends and his parents. 226 00:10:05,343 --> 00:10:09,565 His dad co-signed a loan from the bank and then cut him off. 227 00:10:09,652 --> 00:10:11,480 [Narrator] But Bowerman realizes cashflow 228 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,569 isn't Blue Ribbon's only problem. 229 00:10:13,569 --> 00:10:16,659 One of Bowerman's star runners was developing issues 230 00:10:16,746 --> 00:10:18,966 in his foot from wearing the sneakers. 231 00:10:19,053 --> 00:10:21,795 He realized that it didn't give enough arch support. 232 00:10:21,795 --> 00:10:24,319 Bowerman finds them not good enough. 233 00:10:24,406 --> 00:10:26,103 His athletes are complaining 234 00:10:26,103 --> 00:10:28,366 that their toes are getting squished. 235 00:10:28,366 --> 00:10:30,542 He's just not happy with these shoes. 236 00:10:30,542 --> 00:10:31,979 He was also a tinkerer. 237 00:10:31,979 --> 00:10:34,416 He loved sort of deconstructing the footwear. 238 00:10:34,503 --> 00:10:35,983 He would take them apart and rebuild them, 239 00:10:35,983 --> 00:10:38,159 figuring out how to redesign these footwears 240 00:10:38,159 --> 00:10:41,379 to give his runners a better performance. 241 00:10:41,379 --> 00:10:43,991 Bill Bowerman says, let me deconstruct this. 242 00:10:43,991 --> 00:10:46,646 Let me break it down and see, how can I make it better? 243 00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:49,518 And he is taking sneakers apart, 244 00:10:49,518 --> 00:10:53,000 trying to see the DNA makeup of this rubber and sole, 245 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,830 always trying to improve tech that would translate to 246 00:10:56,917 --> 00:11:00,529 better performance and yielding the results for runners. 247 00:11:01,748 --> 00:11:02,749 [Bowerman] Come on. 248 00:11:06,187 --> 00:11:08,668 So he creates this cushion inner sole 249 00:11:08,755 --> 00:11:11,627 with a soft sponge in the inner foot and the heel. 250 00:11:11,714 --> 00:11:14,021 Nobody was making this kind of sneaker 251 00:11:14,021 --> 00:11:15,413 with this kind of cushioning. 252 00:11:15,413 --> 00:11:16,850 You shaved 15 seconds. 253 00:11:20,070 --> 00:11:22,769 Hey, before you go in, gimme one of your shoes. 254 00:11:25,989 --> 00:11:28,688 The foam midsole was unprecedented. 255 00:11:28,688 --> 00:11:31,168 It just was really useful in sports, 256 00:11:31,168 --> 00:11:34,041 but also very comfortable to wear for a long period of time. 257 00:11:37,131 --> 00:11:38,306 [Knight] What's this? 258 00:11:38,393 --> 00:11:39,568 I rebuilt it. 259 00:11:41,613 --> 00:11:43,137 Bill, I've been out there at every college 260 00:11:43,137 --> 00:11:46,662 in the northwest trying to sell the teams on our shoes. 261 00:11:46,662 --> 00:11:49,056 Well, what'd you expect when you brought me in as a partner? 262 00:11:50,971 --> 00:11:52,407 The shoes are better now. 263 00:11:54,583 --> 00:11:55,889 Hey, let's go again. 264 00:11:58,630 --> 00:12:00,458 It was a game changer. 265 00:12:00,458 --> 00:12:02,809 Knight might have been a little surprised at first, 266 00:12:02,809 --> 00:12:04,201 but he's really delighted to see 267 00:12:04,201 --> 00:12:05,725 how comfortable these really are. 268 00:12:07,074 --> 00:12:09,293 Bill Bowerman started sending his designs 269 00:12:09,293 --> 00:12:11,513 to Onitsuka Tiger 270 00:12:11,513 --> 00:12:13,602 to get them to create the shoes that he wanted, 271 00:12:13,602 --> 00:12:16,126 essentially designing the sneakers for them. 272 00:12:16,213 --> 00:12:18,259 [Narrator] Ultimately, Onitsuka agrees 273 00:12:18,259 --> 00:12:20,870 to manufacture the new design. 274 00:12:20,870 --> 00:12:24,134 Now, Knight and Bowerman look for the perfect opportunity 275 00:12:24,134 --> 00:12:27,311 to release their new, revolutionary sneaker. 276 00:12:27,311 --> 00:12:29,661 They figure, if we're gonna debut a new shoe, 277 00:12:29,661 --> 00:12:32,360 let's debut it on the biggest stage imaginable. 278 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,057 [Narrator] And in 1968, 279 00:12:34,057 --> 00:12:37,060 there's no bigger opportunity than the Olympics. 280 00:12:37,060 --> 00:12:38,583 With Mexico hosting, 281 00:12:38,583 --> 00:12:41,108 Blue Ribbon comes up with a fitting name 282 00:12:41,108 --> 00:12:44,154 for their new shoe, the Aztec. 283 00:12:44,241 --> 00:12:46,417 It was soft and super lightweight. 284 00:12:46,504 --> 00:12:50,030 It could stand up to athletes competing in multiple heats. 285 00:12:50,030 --> 00:12:52,249 [Narrator] But there's already another sneaker 286 00:12:52,249 --> 00:12:55,470 with a similar name made by Adidas. 287 00:12:55,470 --> 00:12:57,994 I think Bowerman and Knight must have known 288 00:12:58,081 --> 00:13:01,302 that there already was a shoe called the Azteca. 289 00:13:01,302 --> 00:13:03,043 But if you're not going to compete 290 00:13:03,043 --> 00:13:05,567 for that number one spot, why are you competing? 291 00:13:05,654 --> 00:13:06,829 At this point in time, 292 00:13:06,916 --> 00:13:09,353 Adidas was the premier footwear brand. 293 00:13:09,353 --> 00:13:10,659 Everyone knew them, 294 00:13:10,659 --> 00:13:12,617 but no one knew who Blue Ribbon Sports were. 295 00:13:12,704 --> 00:13:14,968 They were the underdog, they were the new kids on the block, 296 00:13:14,968 --> 00:13:17,535 but they were swinging for the fences, so to speak, 297 00:13:17,535 --> 00:13:19,537 and saying that we too could sit at this table, 298 00:13:19,537 --> 00:13:20,800 so watch out, Adidas. 299 00:13:23,019 --> 00:13:25,108 [Narrator] This move lands them in the crosshairs 300 00:13:25,108 --> 00:13:26,849 of Adi Dassler's son, Horst, 301 00:13:26,849 --> 00:13:29,939 who's recently joined the family business. 302 00:13:30,026 --> 00:13:31,680 Horst grew up with a father 303 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:34,465 who virtually changed the world of footwear. 304 00:13:34,465 --> 00:13:37,164 Now he's coming in and he wants to prove himself. 305 00:13:37,294 --> 00:13:39,296 So Horst has four sisters. 306 00:13:39,296 --> 00:13:41,124 He's Adi's only son. 307 00:13:41,211 --> 00:13:43,779 He needs to prove to his family 308 00:13:43,779 --> 00:13:46,738 that he should be the heir apparent to his father's empire. 309 00:13:46,738 --> 00:13:50,003 He's really determined to keep Adidas in the forefront 310 00:13:50,003 --> 00:13:51,439 and be the leader of the pack. 311 00:13:54,572 --> 00:13:56,052 What is this? 312 00:13:56,052 --> 00:13:59,664 It's a Japanese shoe being sold by Americans. 313 00:13:59,664 --> 00:14:01,188 And? 314 00:14:01,188 --> 00:14:02,972 They're calling it the Aztec. 315 00:14:03,059 --> 00:14:05,018 [tense music] 316 00:14:07,368 --> 00:14:08,717 Find out who they are. 317 00:14:13,635 --> 00:14:17,117 Adi Dassler was not about to let some little upstart, 318 00:14:17,117 --> 00:14:20,207 unknown American company steal the name of his shoe. 319 00:14:25,647 --> 00:14:27,301 You're not gonna believe this. 320 00:14:27,301 --> 00:14:28,824 What's up? 321 00:14:28,911 --> 00:14:30,870 We're being sued by Adidas. 322 00:14:32,001 --> 00:14:33,785 Adidas was the powerhouse. 323 00:14:33,785 --> 00:14:36,179 They had the money, they had the brand recognition. 324 00:14:36,179 --> 00:14:38,138 Adidas could have literally just stepped on them 325 00:14:38,138 --> 00:14:39,487 and crushed them. 326 00:14:44,318 --> 00:14:45,972 [Narrator] In 1968, Blue Ribbon Sports 327 00:14:45,972 --> 00:14:47,799 is facing a serious legal battle 328 00:14:47,799 --> 00:14:49,236 that could prevent them from launching 329 00:14:49,236 --> 00:14:52,065 their innovative new sneaker at the Olympic Games. 330 00:14:53,370 --> 00:14:56,373 So Adidas has a shoe called Azteca Gold 331 00:14:56,460 --> 00:14:59,899 and Blue Ribbon Sport comes out with a shoe called Aztec, 332 00:14:59,899 --> 00:15:01,683 and they feel that it's just too similar. 333 00:15:01,770 --> 00:15:04,555 So Adi sues Blue Ribbon. 334 00:15:04,555 --> 00:15:07,036 [Narrator] Without the funds to battle Adidas in court, 335 00:15:07,123 --> 00:15:09,386 Knight and Bowerman opt to change the name. 336 00:15:11,475 --> 00:15:14,696 Hey, who is the guy that beat the Aztecs? 337 00:15:16,045 --> 00:15:17,394 Uh, Cortez? 338 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,269 Okay, we call it the Cortez. 339 00:15:26,229 --> 00:15:30,625 You should always respect very aggressive, very ambitious, 340 00:15:30,712 --> 00:15:33,758 very hungry founders who are out to win. 341 00:15:33,758 --> 00:15:36,065 [upbeat music] 342 00:15:36,065 --> 00:15:37,849 [Narrator] The Cortez is launched 343 00:15:37,849 --> 00:15:39,808 just in time for the Olympics. 344 00:15:41,505 --> 00:15:44,639 For a little upstart company like Blue Ribbon Sports, 345 00:15:44,639 --> 00:15:47,903 to enter a stage like that, that's a definitive statement 346 00:15:47,903 --> 00:15:51,863 if to no one else, Adidas, saying, we're coming for you. 347 00:15:51,863 --> 00:15:53,430 So the Olympics, 348 00:15:53,430 --> 00:15:56,216 even though Adidas took bronze, silver, and gold, 349 00:15:56,216 --> 00:15:58,261 a number of the athletes did wear Blue Ribbon products. 350 00:15:58,348 --> 00:15:59,654 This set up the stage 351 00:15:59,654 --> 00:16:02,222 for all competition going back and forth. 352 00:16:02,222 --> 00:16:03,440 [Narrator] After the games, 353 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,573 the Cortez surprisingly starts to resonate 354 00:16:05,660 --> 00:16:07,967 with a wider audience. 355 00:16:07,967 --> 00:16:10,317 It starts to appeal to the masses. 356 00:16:10,404 --> 00:16:13,320 People are buying it not just for sport, they're buying it 357 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,670 'cause it's comfortable and it's a casual shoe 358 00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:17,498 that they can wear every day. 359 00:16:17,585 --> 00:16:19,195 You could get one for about 30 bucks 360 00:16:19,195 --> 00:16:22,677 and to have something lightweight, attractive, 361 00:16:22,677 --> 00:16:24,940 without incurring a massive expense, 362 00:16:24,940 --> 00:16:26,594 that was sort of the brass ring. 363 00:16:28,204 --> 00:16:29,466 You start seeing people wearing them 364 00:16:29,466 --> 00:16:31,164 with jeans, hanging out, 365 00:16:31,251 --> 00:16:34,254 and it really is a sea change in the role 366 00:16:34,254 --> 00:16:37,518 that sneakers play in American fashion. 367 00:16:37,605 --> 00:16:39,128 [Narrator] Within a year, 368 00:16:39,128 --> 00:16:41,478 the Tiger Cortez will become the best selling shoe 369 00:16:41,565 --> 00:16:43,219 for Blue Ribbon sports, 370 00:16:43,219 --> 00:16:47,658 doubling their annual sales to $300,000. 371 00:16:47,658 --> 00:16:49,834 With the creation of stylish, 372 00:16:49,834 --> 00:16:53,142 affordable, comfortable athletic wear 373 00:16:53,142 --> 00:16:56,145 that non-athletes could enjoy, 374 00:16:56,145 --> 00:16:58,887 Blue Ribbon Sports is coming for that number one spot 375 00:16:58,887 --> 00:17:01,368 against the company that rules the roost. 376 00:17:01,498 --> 00:17:03,674 While the Cortez was doing a fraction 377 00:17:03,674 --> 00:17:06,242 of what Adidas was doing at the time, 378 00:17:06,242 --> 00:17:08,288 they were still eating into the company's share 379 00:17:08,418 --> 00:17:11,378 and here's this company that's coming outta nowhere 380 00:17:11,378 --> 00:17:12,727 and stealing all of its shine. 381 00:17:14,337 --> 00:17:16,165 [Narrator] As Blue Ribbon stock starts rising, 382 00:17:17,732 --> 00:17:20,430 Adidas' Horst Dassler is on guard. 383 00:17:21,866 --> 00:17:25,827 Horst Dassler is very ambitious, very well traveled, 384 00:17:25,914 --> 00:17:28,047 but he also has this contentious relationship 385 00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:29,396 with his father. 386 00:17:29,396 --> 00:17:31,398 His dad didn't wanna waste his resources 387 00:17:31,485 --> 00:17:33,487 combating some small American company, 388 00:17:33,487 --> 00:17:34,923 but Horst could see 389 00:17:34,923 --> 00:17:37,534 that the sneaker market was changing rapidly 390 00:17:37,534 --> 00:17:40,798 and he wanted to harness the attention of pop culture now. 391 00:17:40,798 --> 00:17:42,670 [Narrator] In order to stay a step ahead of Knight 392 00:17:42,670 --> 00:17:45,673 and Bowerman, Horst looks to expand into a sport 393 00:17:45,673 --> 00:17:50,504 they're not in, one that's uniquely American. 394 00:17:50,504 --> 00:17:53,985 Horst Dassler, he sees basketball for the first time 395 00:17:53,985 --> 00:17:56,379 and he is mesmerized. 396 00:17:56,466 --> 00:17:58,773 [pensive music] 397 00:17:58,773 --> 00:18:01,210 Basketball really wasn't all that popular. 398 00:18:01,210 --> 00:18:03,082 Basketball games were usually pre-taped 399 00:18:03,082 --> 00:18:05,519 and broadcast at a later time, 400 00:18:05,519 --> 00:18:09,610 and golf got the primetime slots in American sports TV. 401 00:18:09,610 --> 00:18:11,090 [Narrator] Horst believes the sport 402 00:18:11,090 --> 00:18:13,657 will only grow in popularity. 403 00:18:13,657 --> 00:18:16,095 His father, though, didn't want to change, 404 00:18:16,095 --> 00:18:18,749 thinking that track and field and soccer were their bread 405 00:18:18,749 --> 00:18:20,664 and butter for Adidas. 406 00:18:20,664 --> 00:18:22,231 [Narrator] Despite his father's disapproval, 407 00:18:22,318 --> 00:18:24,538 he thinks there's an opportunity 408 00:18:24,538 --> 00:18:27,018 to create a better basketball sneaker, 409 00:18:27,018 --> 00:18:29,804 but he'll need to outmaneuver another American brand. 410 00:18:32,459 --> 00:18:33,938 Converse almost had a, like, lock 411 00:18:33,938 --> 00:18:35,549 on the basketball market, right? 412 00:18:35,549 --> 00:18:37,768 Like almost every athlete wore some type of Converse. 413 00:18:39,596 --> 00:18:42,121 The high cut canvas material, which offered breathability, 414 00:18:42,121 --> 00:18:44,166 it offered comfortability right out of the box, 415 00:18:44,166 --> 00:18:46,429 but it didn't offer all the support 416 00:18:46,429 --> 00:18:47,691 that a lot of the players needed. 417 00:18:47,822 --> 00:18:49,824 So it left the door open 418 00:18:49,824 --> 00:18:51,652 for a brand like Adidas to walk on in. 419 00:18:55,656 --> 00:19:00,922 Horst Dassler knew that a 6 foot 10, 300 pound man 420 00:19:01,009 --> 00:19:04,230 jumping and banking and turning and stopping and starting 421 00:19:04,230 --> 00:19:06,884 with just some canvas wrapped around his foot 422 00:19:06,971 --> 00:19:08,538 was not sufficient. 423 00:19:08,538 --> 00:19:10,801 He knew that Converse did not offer 424 00:19:10,801 --> 00:19:15,415 the performance benefits that he knew an Adidas shoe could. 425 00:19:15,415 --> 00:19:18,418 Don't show these to anyone, 426 00:19:18,418 --> 00:19:21,508 especially not my father. 427 00:19:21,508 --> 00:19:24,075 So Adidas, at the time, is really known 428 00:19:24,075 --> 00:19:27,253 for track and field, and soccer. 429 00:19:27,253 --> 00:19:30,995 So to try to venture into basketball shoes is a real risk. 430 00:19:32,562 --> 00:19:35,174 [Narrator] As Dassler attempts to take down Converse, 431 00:19:35,174 --> 00:19:38,177 a contract renegotiation in 1971 432 00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:40,396 threatens to take out Blue Ribbon. 433 00:19:41,702 --> 00:19:44,835 The only way Onitsuka Tiger will move forward with him 434 00:19:44,835 --> 00:19:47,447 is if they can have 51% ownership. 435 00:19:47,577 --> 00:19:49,666 Every businessman knows you never lose control, 436 00:19:49,666 --> 00:19:51,625 and once you give 51% of your company 437 00:19:51,625 --> 00:19:53,888 to someone else, you're out. 438 00:19:53,888 --> 00:19:56,151 You're a minority owner in the business. 439 00:19:56,151 --> 00:19:58,806 You have no say, you're done. 440 00:19:58,806 --> 00:20:00,895 [Narrator] If they want to avoid relinquishing control 441 00:20:00,895 --> 00:20:03,202 of their company, Knight and Bowerman 442 00:20:03,202 --> 00:20:05,247 will have to make a bold decision. 443 00:20:05,247 --> 00:20:08,076 I think every entrepreneur faces a moment 444 00:20:08,076 --> 00:20:12,080 where they can cash out and give up their baby 445 00:20:13,386 --> 00:20:16,084 or they can bet on themselves 446 00:20:16,084 --> 00:20:18,217 and see it through for better or for worse. 447 00:20:19,609 --> 00:20:22,177 And betting on yourself is a very risky 448 00:20:22,264 --> 00:20:25,180 and scary thing to do. 449 00:20:25,180 --> 00:20:26,747 They couldn't figure it out, 450 00:20:26,747 --> 00:20:28,879 so thus, they decided to part ways. 451 00:20:28,879 --> 00:20:30,577 [Narrator] Now, the duo is looking 452 00:20:30,664 --> 00:20:32,883 to start over on their own. 453 00:20:32,883 --> 00:20:35,799 They decided that they needed to come up with a new name. 454 00:20:35,799 --> 00:20:37,671 Blue Ribbon Sports 455 00:20:37,671 --> 00:20:43,590 didn't exactly exemplify speed or athleticism, right? 456 00:20:43,590 --> 00:20:46,027 So he comes up with one that he thinks will be etched 457 00:20:46,114 --> 00:20:48,508 into the history books of sports forever. 458 00:20:48,508 --> 00:20:53,121 A name that really evokes the striving and struggle, 459 00:20:53,121 --> 00:20:56,037 trials, tribulations the wars one must wage 460 00:20:56,037 --> 00:20:58,126 in order to achieve victory. 461 00:20:59,432 --> 00:21:00,955 "Dimension Six." 462 00:21:02,086 --> 00:21:03,566 I mean let's be honest, 463 00:21:03,566 --> 00:21:06,395 Dimension Six sounds like a really bad disco band 464 00:21:06,395 --> 00:21:10,921 from the '70s, or like, a new iteration of Star Trek. 465 00:21:10,921 --> 00:21:12,358 [Narrator] To find a better name, 466 00:21:12,358 --> 00:21:16,318 they petition company employees for suggestions. 467 00:21:16,318 --> 00:21:18,712 They had millions tied up in production, 468 00:21:18,712 --> 00:21:20,670 in trademarks, patents, 469 00:21:20,670 --> 00:21:23,282 and everybody's like, what's the name of your company? 470 00:21:24,587 --> 00:21:27,416 [Narrator] But then, an employee pitches a name he says 471 00:21:27,416 --> 00:21:29,549 came to him in a dream. 472 00:21:29,549 --> 00:21:31,986 So, what do you got? 473 00:21:32,073 --> 00:21:34,554 It reflected the company's determination 474 00:21:34,554 --> 00:21:36,077 and the drive to succeed. 475 00:21:37,339 --> 00:21:39,907 I love the name for many reasons. 476 00:21:39,907 --> 00:21:42,126 It was inspired by the Greek goddess of victory. 477 00:21:43,389 --> 00:21:46,392 That's just so appropriate for the brand. 478 00:21:46,392 --> 00:21:48,524 [Narrator] This iconic name will soon transform 479 00:21:48,655 --> 00:21:51,135 the landscape of sneakers forever. 480 00:21:51,135 --> 00:21:53,137 Nike. 481 00:21:53,137 --> 00:21:54,791 Obviously, goddess of victory. 482 00:21:54,791 --> 00:21:56,271 It's like, a great thing to rally around. 483 00:21:56,271 --> 00:21:58,882 We're gonna win this sneaker war. 484 00:21:58,882 --> 00:22:01,015 [Narrator] Now they'll need the perfect sneaker 485 00:22:01,102 --> 00:22:02,799 to help put them back on the map. 486 00:22:04,540 --> 00:22:06,325 Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight had to come up 487 00:22:06,325 --> 00:22:07,804 with something unique and innovative 488 00:22:07,804 --> 00:22:10,024 to introduce Nike to the world. 489 00:22:10,024 --> 00:22:12,418 So the challenge was certainly before them. 490 00:22:12,505 --> 00:22:13,984 [Narrator] And with the next Olympics 491 00:22:13,984 --> 00:22:16,073 less than a year away, 492 00:22:16,073 --> 00:22:18,293 it presents an ideal stage for their ambitious debut. 493 00:22:21,601 --> 00:22:23,516 Meanwhile, back in Germany, 494 00:22:23,516 --> 00:22:25,692 Horst Dassler is hoping his gamble 495 00:22:25,692 --> 00:22:28,259 into basketball sneakers pays off. 496 00:22:28,259 --> 00:22:31,785 Their sneakers offered unbelievable ankle support, 497 00:22:31,785 --> 00:22:34,265 but also offered super grip to help the athletes run up 498 00:22:34,265 --> 00:22:35,658 and down the court 499 00:22:35,658 --> 00:22:37,660 to make their both lateral and medial cuts, 500 00:22:37,660 --> 00:22:40,881 stopping and going without slipping and sliding. 501 00:22:40,881 --> 00:22:42,535 Whereas the Chuck Taylor All-Star 502 00:22:42,535 --> 00:22:44,972 has such a simplistic tread on it, 503 00:22:45,059 --> 00:22:49,411 Adidas really formulated a much more sport-specific 504 00:22:49,411 --> 00:22:52,109 tread pattern on both the low top version 505 00:22:52,109 --> 00:22:53,981 and the high top version. 506 00:22:54,111 --> 00:22:57,463 Horst Dassler's design was a pretty unique one 507 00:22:57,463 --> 00:23:00,770 and it involved this circle on the sole 508 00:23:00,770 --> 00:23:03,207 and it created kind of like a suction cup effect. 509 00:23:03,207 --> 00:23:05,035 'Cause basketball players are cutting 510 00:23:05,035 --> 00:23:07,255 and making sudden movements, 511 00:23:07,255 --> 00:23:10,563 and it was such a revolutionary technology. 512 00:23:10,650 --> 00:23:12,652 [Narrator] Determined to prove himself to his father, 513 00:23:12,652 --> 00:23:14,654 Horst does whatever it takes 514 00:23:14,654 --> 00:23:18,005 to ensure his new Supergrip sneaker succeeds. 515 00:23:19,702 --> 00:23:23,924 So he approaches the coach of a new NBA expansion team. 516 00:23:24,011 --> 00:23:25,491 What am I looking at here? 517 00:23:26,753 --> 00:23:28,711 Our first ever basketball sneaker. 518 00:23:30,974 --> 00:23:34,282 Why don't you just try them on, size 11, right? 519 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,896 He figured that if he can get them to wear them, 520 00:23:39,896 --> 00:23:41,594 they would be the best marketers. 521 00:23:41,594 --> 00:23:43,813 [tense music] 522 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,210 They're good, but our guys wear Converse, all pros do. 523 00:23:49,297 --> 00:23:52,126 Your guys are rookies. 524 00:23:52,126 --> 00:23:54,607 We are rookies in the game too. 525 00:23:54,607 --> 00:23:56,391 Let's help each other. 526 00:23:56,478 --> 00:23:59,089 You have to have the kind of ingenuity 527 00:23:59,176 --> 00:24:02,136 and engineering capabilities to put out a good product, 528 00:24:02,223 --> 00:24:04,268 and then you have to have the tenacity 529 00:24:04,355 --> 00:24:07,358 and outside the box thinking to sell the damn thing. 530 00:24:07,358 --> 00:24:09,404 [Narrator] The San Diego Rockets agree 531 00:24:09,404 --> 00:24:12,929 to wear Adidas sneakers and Horst Dassler hopes the rest 532 00:24:12,929 --> 00:24:15,454 of the basketball world will take notice. 533 00:24:20,763 --> 00:24:22,548 Meanwhile, in Oregon, 534 00:24:22,548 --> 00:24:26,465 Bill Bowerman's also looking for a way to stand out. 535 00:24:26,552 --> 00:24:29,816 Bill Bowerman gets selected as the next head coach 536 00:24:29,816 --> 00:24:31,339 of the US Olympic track team. 537 00:24:31,339 --> 00:24:33,472 He was gonna do everything in his power to make sure 538 00:24:33,559 --> 00:24:36,170 that those athletes were not wearing Adidas shoes. 539 00:24:36,170 --> 00:24:40,000 At that point, these shoes that runners would use 540 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,133 was only suitable for one type of running surface. 541 00:24:43,220 --> 00:24:45,788 And at that point, even at the college that he was at, 542 00:24:45,788 --> 00:24:47,834 they were starting to utilize multiple surfaces. 543 00:24:48,965 --> 00:24:50,837 At this time, 544 00:24:50,837 --> 00:24:54,014 a lot of tracks were using synthetic polyurethane rubber 545 00:24:54,014 --> 00:24:56,669 that made the tracks incredibly spongy, 546 00:24:56,669 --> 00:24:59,454 that necessitated a sneaker with more grip 547 00:24:59,541 --> 00:25:02,501 and Adidas were the grippiest. 548 00:25:04,154 --> 00:25:05,939 [Narrator] With Nike in desperate need for a new 549 00:25:05,939 --> 00:25:07,157 and superior shoe, 550 00:25:08,811 --> 00:25:12,815 Bowerman finds inspiration in an unlikely place. 551 00:25:17,646 --> 00:25:20,083 [Narrator] In Oregon in 1972, 552 00:25:20,170 --> 00:25:22,390 Bill Bowerman is struck with inspiration 553 00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:25,524 for a new shoe while eating breakfast. 554 00:25:25,524 --> 00:25:27,134 As he sees the waffle, 555 00:25:27,221 --> 00:25:31,007 he sees the divots in the actual waffle and boom, 556 00:25:31,007 --> 00:25:33,140 that eureka moment happens. 557 00:25:33,227 --> 00:25:35,490 Do you mind if I borrow the waffle iron? 558 00:25:38,319 --> 00:25:40,451 This is where Bowerman's genius kicks in. 559 00:25:40,451 --> 00:25:42,541 [intense music] 560 00:25:45,718 --> 00:25:50,940 He realizes like, oh, this could be a sole of a sneaker. 561 00:25:50,940 --> 00:25:54,291 Bill Bowerman looked at a waffle iron 562 00:25:54,378 --> 00:25:57,033 and saw a new kind of running shoe. 563 00:25:57,033 --> 00:25:59,166 If I look at a waffle iron, 564 00:25:59,253 --> 00:26:01,560 I just think about tasty, tasty waffles. 565 00:26:03,997 --> 00:26:06,913 To his wife's dismay, he grabbed some urethane 566 00:26:06,913 --> 00:26:09,611 and poured it directly into that waffle iron. 567 00:26:09,611 --> 00:26:11,961 At the time, rubber was being used in somewhat 568 00:26:12,048 --> 00:26:16,183 of a vulcanized manner, so it required expensive machinery, 569 00:26:16,270 --> 00:26:19,316 and he's just using a household waffle iron, 570 00:26:19,316 --> 00:26:22,711 literally just taking rubber composite, pouring it in, 571 00:26:22,798 --> 00:26:24,017 pressing it down. 572 00:26:31,328 --> 00:26:34,157 The idea of creating a waffle grid 573 00:26:34,157 --> 00:26:37,726 to create grip was deceptively brilliant 574 00:26:37,726 --> 00:26:41,600 because you now had studs that could grip in any direction. 575 00:26:43,123 --> 00:26:44,341 [Narrator] With a groundbreaking design 576 00:26:44,341 --> 00:26:46,169 for a new running sneaker, 577 00:26:46,169 --> 00:26:49,520 Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman look for a new logo 578 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,392 that's just as innovative. 579 00:26:53,916 --> 00:26:55,788 He happened to find Carolyn Davidson, 580 00:26:55,788 --> 00:26:59,356 a Portland State University student studying graphic design 581 00:26:59,356 --> 00:27:01,054 who was charged with designing something 582 00:27:01,141 --> 00:27:03,056 that evoked motion. 583 00:27:03,143 --> 00:27:06,059 So Davidson submits a whole bunch of designs 584 00:27:06,059 --> 00:27:07,538 to Phil Knight. 585 00:27:07,538 --> 00:27:09,279 [Narrator] Provided with minimal guidance 586 00:27:09,279 --> 00:27:11,804 and a mere $35 check, 587 00:27:11,804 --> 00:27:14,633 Davidson delivers an array of designs. 588 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:19,202 And eventually, Bowerman really loves one of them. 589 00:27:19,202 --> 00:27:21,422 [pensive music] 590 00:27:21,509 --> 00:27:23,946 You know, this one's not bad. 591 00:27:25,774 --> 00:27:29,082 It's based on the wing of that particular Greek goddess 592 00:27:29,082 --> 00:27:32,563 and she made it look more like it had a motion to it. 593 00:27:32,563 --> 00:27:34,130 I mean, it's the perfect design. 594 00:27:34,217 --> 00:27:37,525 It looks like a whoosh of air. 595 00:27:38,787 --> 00:27:41,964 This logo that can stand on its own. 596 00:27:41,964 --> 00:27:45,185 You can put that logo on a billboard anywhere in the world 597 00:27:45,185 --> 00:27:46,534 and people will know it's Nike. 598 00:27:49,232 --> 00:27:51,321 I don't love it. 599 00:27:51,321 --> 00:27:52,366 And Phil Knight hates it. 600 00:27:54,585 --> 00:27:58,111 And it's kind of crazy to think that small decisions made 601 00:27:58,111 --> 00:28:00,374 by one individual 602 00:28:00,374 --> 00:28:03,725 ended up shifting the entire paradigm of footwear. 603 00:28:03,725 --> 00:28:05,640 Yeah, but maybe it'll grow on me. 604 00:28:06,728 --> 00:28:08,643 Yeah, the Nike swoosh was born. 605 00:28:10,297 --> 00:28:12,473 It symbolizes achievement. 606 00:28:12,473 --> 00:28:16,520 It symbolizes empowerment and the pursuit of excellence. 607 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,002 The power of the Nike swoosh really lies in its simplicity. 608 00:28:20,002 --> 00:28:21,700 It has propulsive-ness to it. 609 00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:24,311 It has almost an aerodynamism to it. 610 00:28:24,311 --> 00:28:26,661 It's just so easily brandable. 611 00:28:26,748 --> 00:28:28,532 I mean, when you see the swoosh on the side 612 00:28:28,532 --> 00:28:31,622 of a running shoe, it's almost creating this optical energy 613 00:28:31,622 --> 00:28:34,060 and swiftness to it. 614 00:28:34,147 --> 00:28:37,280 [Narrator] With a new shoe and new logo ready to launch, 615 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,936 Nike is gearing up once again to take on Adidas. 616 00:28:40,936 --> 00:28:43,417 So you got this up and coming brand 617 00:28:43,504 --> 00:28:45,985 trying to knock off the top, 618 00:28:45,985 --> 00:28:47,551 like, that should tell you everything you need to know 619 00:28:47,551 --> 00:28:49,075 about Nike at that time. 620 00:28:49,075 --> 00:28:51,164 Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman were the underdogs. 621 00:28:51,164 --> 00:28:53,775 Knight is very determined. 622 00:28:53,775 --> 00:28:57,039 He has that never quit, never make excuse mindset. 623 00:28:57,039 --> 00:28:58,519 My favorite part about business 624 00:28:58,519 --> 00:29:00,434 is the David and Goliath story. 625 00:29:00,434 --> 00:29:03,002 I do not believe that Adidas was sitting there 626 00:29:03,002 --> 00:29:05,091 with real great concern of this cute little thing 627 00:29:05,091 --> 00:29:07,833 in the Pacific Northwest called Nike. 628 00:29:07,833 --> 00:29:10,139 That becomes the problem. 629 00:29:10,139 --> 00:29:12,707 Underestimating your emerging competition 630 00:29:12,794 --> 00:29:16,189 has been the historical truth of why you lose. 631 00:29:22,021 --> 00:29:24,240 [Narrator] In 1972, under a new branded logo, 632 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,939 Nike debuts their first sneaker 633 00:29:27,026 --> 00:29:31,857 with its revolutionary waffle sole at the Munich Olympics. 634 00:29:31,857 --> 00:29:34,120 While Adidas was very dominant at the Olympics, 635 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:36,644 they couldn't deny that Nike was on the scene, 636 00:29:36,644 --> 00:29:38,820 that they were a force to be reckoned with. 637 00:29:38,820 --> 00:29:40,300 The special thing about the waffle sole 638 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:43,607 is that it is the ability for it to be used 639 00:29:43,607 --> 00:29:45,261 on multiple different running surfaces. 640 00:29:45,261 --> 00:29:47,046 I mean, it was groundbreaking. 641 00:29:47,046 --> 00:29:48,525 [Narrator] Within one year, 642 00:29:48,525 --> 00:29:51,528 sales of Nike sneakers reach five million annually 643 00:29:51,528 --> 00:29:54,793 and begin to attract new customers around the world. 644 00:29:56,446 --> 00:30:00,929 But as Nike continues to soar, in 1976, 645 00:30:00,929 --> 00:30:03,236 Adidas reaches new heights. 646 00:30:03,236 --> 00:30:05,281 [crowd cheering] 647 00:30:05,281 --> 00:30:08,371 Adidas scores a major coup 648 00:30:08,371 --> 00:30:12,723 in signing one of the biggest basketball stars of all time, 649 00:30:12,723 --> 00:30:15,074 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 650 00:30:15,161 --> 00:30:18,599 and it brings the brand to stratospheric awareness. 651 00:30:18,686 --> 00:30:24,300 So Horst has taken a relatively unknown brand 652 00:30:24,387 --> 00:30:27,216 of athletic shoe for basketball 653 00:30:27,216 --> 00:30:30,785 and turned it into the number one shoe in basketball. 654 00:30:30,872 --> 00:30:32,395 [Narrator] Within the year, 655 00:30:32,395 --> 00:30:36,443 85% of all professional basketball players in America 656 00:30:36,530 --> 00:30:39,359 have made the switch from Converse to Adidas. 657 00:30:41,361 --> 00:30:45,017 It's good to see you, brought you a pair. 658 00:30:45,104 --> 00:30:48,759 I think Horst had to have felt, if I grow the brand, 659 00:30:48,847 --> 00:30:51,110 build the brand, build a better shoe, 660 00:30:51,110 --> 00:30:52,676 this company will be mine 661 00:30:52,676 --> 00:30:55,114 when my father goes, logically. 662 00:30:55,114 --> 00:30:57,159 Our shoes are number one in the NBA. 663 00:30:58,465 --> 00:31:02,599 So you would think that his father would think, aha, 664 00:31:02,599 --> 00:31:06,952 my son understands it, he gets it, he's driven. 665 00:31:06,952 --> 00:31:08,954 He's willing to think outside the box, 666 00:31:08,954 --> 00:31:10,303 and instead... 667 00:31:11,652 --> 00:31:12,958 You disobeyed me. 668 00:31:16,526 --> 00:31:18,789 Adi Dassler just feels betrayed 669 00:31:18,789 --> 00:31:20,966 and he's furious at Horst, 670 00:31:21,096 --> 00:31:24,752 and he never entirely forgives Horst for this. 671 00:31:24,752 --> 00:31:26,449 [Narrator] Making matters worse, 672 00:31:26,449 --> 00:31:30,149 just two years later, tragedy strikes. 673 00:31:30,236 --> 00:31:32,934 Adi Dassler, the man who set the benchmark 674 00:31:32,934 --> 00:31:36,633 for footwear all around the globe, dies. 675 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,768 Horst had to think, I have moved mountains for this brand. 676 00:31:40,855 --> 00:31:43,423 Who else could he want as a successor? 677 00:31:43,510 --> 00:31:46,078 [Narrator] Adi, however, had different plans. 678 00:31:46,078 --> 00:31:48,341 Rather than leave the company to Horst, 679 00:31:48,341 --> 00:31:51,431 he blindsides him and leaves it to his sister and his mother. 680 00:31:52,736 --> 00:31:55,217 I think Horst had to have felt 681 00:31:55,217 --> 00:31:57,219 like he was slapped in the face, 682 00:31:57,219 --> 00:31:59,352 just like, the ultimate betrayal. 683 00:31:59,439 --> 00:32:01,441 [intense music] 684 00:32:02,964 --> 00:32:05,706 [Narrator] Meanwhile, back in the States, 685 00:32:05,706 --> 00:32:07,795 no longer a scrappy upstart, 686 00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:13,018 Nike sales hit $149 million in 1979, 687 00:32:13,018 --> 00:32:16,543 but Adidas is still leading the American market. 688 00:32:16,630 --> 00:32:18,675 Nike had made a name for themselves in running, 689 00:32:18,762 --> 00:32:21,200 but Adidas was the basketball shoe. 690 00:32:21,287 --> 00:32:23,158 It's taking over the basketball scene, 691 00:32:23,158 --> 00:32:26,683 but Phil Knight is not one to back down from a challenge. 692 00:32:26,683 --> 00:32:29,643 Nike wanted to make the jump to another sport. 693 00:32:29,730 --> 00:32:31,253 They're looking ahead again. 694 00:32:31,384 --> 00:32:33,647 What's a sport that people are playing, they're excited about, 695 00:32:33,647 --> 00:32:35,518 that's fast paced and moving? 696 00:32:35,605 --> 00:32:36,650 Basketball. 697 00:32:38,347 --> 00:32:40,828 [Narrator] And they're looking to a scientist for help. 698 00:32:42,482 --> 00:32:45,311 Frank Rudy was a retired aeronautics engineer 699 00:32:45,311 --> 00:32:47,095 and he had tons of ideas 700 00:32:47,182 --> 00:32:50,142 that he wanted to incorporate into sneakers. 701 00:32:50,229 --> 00:32:52,361 [Narrator] But so far, Rudy has been passed over 702 00:32:52,361 --> 00:32:56,496 by 23 other companies, including Adidas. 703 00:32:56,496 --> 00:32:59,412 Horst saw it and didn't think that it was what Adidas needed. 704 00:32:59,412 --> 00:33:01,327 He thought it was actually just a gimmick. 705 00:33:03,329 --> 00:33:05,896 Rudy being the person that never takes no for an answer, 706 00:33:05,896 --> 00:33:08,073 basically said, okay, if you don't say yes, 707 00:33:08,073 --> 00:33:09,509 someone else will. 708 00:33:09,509 --> 00:33:11,119 All right, so what do you got for me? 709 00:33:15,515 --> 00:33:17,865 He was able to enclose dense gases 710 00:33:17,865 --> 00:33:20,955 into the rubber membrane, inventing the air cushion. 711 00:33:20,955 --> 00:33:22,826 This created kind of like an air bubble 712 00:33:22,826 --> 00:33:24,176 inside the sneaker's midsole. 713 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,833 They look like bubbles. 714 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,010 They're actually pressurized airbags. 715 00:33:34,186 --> 00:33:37,841 The air unit is basically a shock absorber 716 00:33:37,928 --> 00:33:40,801 and it also works to kind of give you more cushion. 717 00:33:40,801 --> 00:33:44,022 When Phil Knight saw it, he too was not enthused by it. 718 00:33:44,109 --> 00:33:45,980 He thought it was a gimmick, he thought it was a joke. 719 00:33:46,067 --> 00:33:47,590 But then when he heard the news 720 00:33:47,590 --> 00:33:50,289 that Adidas had passed on it, he said, well, 721 00:33:50,376 --> 00:33:52,117 let me take a look at this. 722 00:33:53,205 --> 00:33:55,337 [intense music] 723 00:33:59,733 --> 00:34:01,691 Phil Knight does what any athlete will do. 724 00:34:04,868 --> 00:34:07,480 He takes the shoes and he goes for a six mile run, 725 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,743 and by the end of it, he actually physically notes, hey, 726 00:34:09,743 --> 00:34:11,049 this feels pretty comfortable. 727 00:34:13,268 --> 00:34:14,574 I think you got something here. 728 00:34:17,968 --> 00:34:19,187 Frank Rudy signs a deal 729 00:34:19,187 --> 00:34:21,059 for something like 15 cents a piece 730 00:34:21,059 --> 00:34:23,061 for every Air sole sold. 731 00:34:25,193 --> 00:34:28,022 Knight has always been nipping at the heels of Adidas, 732 00:34:28,022 --> 00:34:29,980 and now he feels like he has the tools 733 00:34:29,980 --> 00:34:31,591 to really do some damage. 734 00:34:31,678 --> 00:34:34,028 [Narrator] In 1982, Nike releases 735 00:34:34,028 --> 00:34:37,814 the first basketball shoe with Air technology, 736 00:34:37,814 --> 00:34:40,208 the Air Force One. 737 00:34:40,208 --> 00:34:41,557 You couldn't see the Air, 738 00:34:41,557 --> 00:34:43,690 but yet the athletes could feel the Air, 739 00:34:43,690 --> 00:34:45,213 they can talk about the Air. 740 00:34:45,213 --> 00:34:49,043 It made them play better, jump higher, run faster. 741 00:34:49,130 --> 00:34:51,176 But while it did good in certain areas, 742 00:34:51,176 --> 00:34:53,613 overall it didn't do well. 743 00:34:53,613 --> 00:34:55,310 And it's funny because at that time, 744 00:34:55,310 --> 00:34:57,356 they were gonna discontinue the line. 745 00:34:57,356 --> 00:35:00,968 [Narrator] By 1984, sales dropped nearly 30%, 746 00:35:00,968 --> 00:35:04,406 putting the company in dire financial straits. 747 00:35:04,406 --> 00:35:05,538 They were thinking of getting out 748 00:35:05,538 --> 00:35:07,670 of basketball altogether. 749 00:35:07,670 --> 00:35:10,543 But Phil Knight wasn't gonna give up just like that. 750 00:35:10,630 --> 00:35:14,024 He knew that if he can get the right player to wear Nike, 751 00:35:14,024 --> 00:35:15,591 he can have people see Nike 752 00:35:15,591 --> 00:35:17,898 as more than just a running shoe. 753 00:35:17,898 --> 00:35:21,206 To save the company, Nike had to go big or go home. 754 00:35:21,206 --> 00:35:22,729 They had to do something. 755 00:35:22,729 --> 00:35:24,861 Lo and behold, young basketball player 756 00:35:24,861 --> 00:35:27,734 out of North Carolina was about to enter his rookie year. 757 00:35:27,734 --> 00:35:30,084 [Narrator] To save the languishing Nike brand, 758 00:35:30,084 --> 00:35:32,086 Knight is going to go all in. 759 00:35:32,086 --> 00:35:36,917 It's a little bit crazy for any company to identify him 760 00:35:36,917 --> 00:35:39,311 as a future superstar, 761 00:35:39,398 --> 00:35:42,836 let alone invest in him the way Nike ultimately did. 762 00:35:42,836 --> 00:35:44,403 [Narrator] They'll gamble everything 763 00:35:44,403 --> 00:35:45,926 to put the future of Nike 764 00:35:46,013 --> 00:35:49,147 in the hands of a rookie from North Carolina. 765 00:35:54,326 --> 00:35:58,025 oking for a lifeline 766 00:35:58,112 --> 00:36:00,723 to revive their Air Force One sneaker 767 00:36:00,723 --> 00:36:02,899 and break through Adidas' stranglehold 768 00:36:02,899 --> 00:36:04,945 on the basketball market, 769 00:36:05,032 --> 00:36:07,904 and they're betting it all on a curious rookie 770 00:36:07,904 --> 00:36:10,255 named Michael Jordan. 771 00:36:10,255 --> 00:36:12,213 He wasn't the first pick in the NBA draft, 772 00:36:12,213 --> 00:36:13,910 he was the third. 773 00:36:13,997 --> 00:36:15,651 And so it wasn't a foregone conclusion 774 00:36:15,651 --> 00:36:18,480 that this was the greatest basketball player of all time. 775 00:36:18,567 --> 00:36:20,961 It was the talent scout at the collegiate level. 776 00:36:20,961 --> 00:36:22,789 He's the person that actually convinced 777 00:36:22,789 --> 00:36:24,617 and told the folks at Nike 778 00:36:24,617 --> 00:36:27,446 that if we're looking for that unicorn, this is the one. 779 00:36:27,446 --> 00:36:30,188 I mean, Nike is really sweating it and at this point, 780 00:36:30,188 --> 00:36:32,494 they really can't afford to be wrong. 781 00:36:32,494 --> 00:36:35,715 [Narrator] But Nike isn't a slam dunk for Jordan either. 782 00:36:35,715 --> 00:36:38,674 When Michael Jordan decided to actually take the meeting 783 00:36:38,674 --> 00:36:41,547 with Nike, it wasn't his first choice. 784 00:36:41,547 --> 00:36:44,724 He really wanted to wear Adidas sneakers. 785 00:36:44,811 --> 00:36:46,160 [Narrator] To woo Jordan, 786 00:36:46,247 --> 00:36:48,467 Nike makes a bold proposition, 787 00:36:48,467 --> 00:36:52,906 offering him a staggering $2.5 million over five years 788 00:36:52,906 --> 00:36:55,387 to wear Nike sneakers during games. 789 00:36:56,823 --> 00:36:58,041 He's an unknown talent, 790 00:36:58,041 --> 00:37:00,000 he could fizzle out in year one. 791 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:01,741 I think a lot of people looked at Nike 792 00:37:01,741 --> 00:37:03,395 as being reckless with their spending. 793 00:37:05,875 --> 00:37:07,660 [Narrator] In an effort to top Adidas, 794 00:37:07,660 --> 00:37:09,401 Nike signs Michael Jordan 795 00:37:09,401 --> 00:37:12,099 to the largest sneaker deal in history. 796 00:37:12,099 --> 00:37:14,275 They literally mortgaged the entire future 797 00:37:14,275 --> 00:37:15,407 on this one player. 798 00:37:16,712 --> 00:37:19,367 He's getting 25% of royalties. 799 00:37:19,367 --> 00:37:23,066 He is getting a hand in the sneaker design of his own shoe 800 00:37:23,153 --> 00:37:25,460 with patented Air design. 801 00:37:25,460 --> 00:37:27,375 The entire situation's pretty bizarre. 802 00:37:27,375 --> 00:37:30,378 You have a virtually untested rookie 803 00:37:30,378 --> 00:37:33,468 who's making more money than anyone else, 804 00:37:33,468 --> 00:37:35,601 who's now coming out with his own shoe 805 00:37:35,601 --> 00:37:37,516 that doesn't look like any other shoe. 806 00:37:40,345 --> 00:37:43,086 They're red, and black. 807 00:37:43,086 --> 00:37:45,219 For the Chicago Bulls. 808 00:37:45,219 --> 00:37:47,221 Well, he won't be able to wear them on the court. 809 00:37:48,701 --> 00:37:50,529 The NBA rule at that time 810 00:37:50,616 --> 00:37:53,053 was that your footwear had to be mostly white. 811 00:37:53,053 --> 00:37:54,446 They're gonna fine us. 812 00:37:56,230 --> 00:37:58,145 Let them. 813 00:37:58,145 --> 00:38:00,408 [Narrator] Released on April 1st, 1985, 814 00:38:00,495 --> 00:38:04,630 The Air Jordan 1 sells for $65, 815 00:38:04,630 --> 00:38:07,372 over 185 today. 816 00:38:07,459 --> 00:38:09,243 First time Michael Jordan wears his sneakers, 817 00:38:09,243 --> 00:38:11,593 they are black and red ones 818 00:38:11,593 --> 00:38:14,857 and obviously they look super cool. 819 00:38:14,944 --> 00:38:16,816 Everyone thought so, except for the NBA 820 00:38:16,903 --> 00:38:18,252 and they were like, nope. 821 00:38:19,471 --> 00:38:23,388 And they slap a $5,000 fine per game 822 00:38:23,388 --> 00:38:26,304 for every game he wears those shoes, they're out of uniform. 823 00:38:26,304 --> 00:38:28,349 Nike loves it. 824 00:38:28,349 --> 00:38:30,438 They're more than happy to pay the fine. 825 00:38:30,525 --> 00:38:33,485 It is generating a buzz throughout the world 826 00:38:33,572 --> 00:38:36,009 that these shoes are different, that they're special. 827 00:38:36,009 --> 00:38:37,184 [Narrator] They even turn the buzz 828 00:38:37,271 --> 00:38:39,882 into a successful marketing campaign. 829 00:38:39,882 --> 00:38:42,798 This is a testament to the genius of Nike marketing. 830 00:38:42,798 --> 00:38:46,236 They created a commercial about the sneakers being banned. 831 00:38:46,324 --> 00:38:48,108 [Newscaster] On September 15th, 832 00:38:48,195 --> 00:38:51,154 Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. 833 00:38:52,460 --> 00:38:56,029 On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game. 834 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:01,469 Fortunately, the NBA can't stop you from wearing them. 835 00:39:02,731 --> 00:39:04,472 [Narrator] In the first month alone, 836 00:39:04,472 --> 00:39:09,434 they sell 450,000 pairs, making almost $30 million. 837 00:39:09,521 --> 00:39:12,262 Jordan becomes the Rookie of the Year. 838 00:39:12,262 --> 00:39:14,917 His shoe is now really the symbol of rebellion, right? 839 00:39:14,917 --> 00:39:17,703 It is the hottest shoe on the market. 840 00:39:17,703 --> 00:39:19,313 [Narrator] By the year's end, 841 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,708 Nike makes $150 million. 842 00:39:22,708 --> 00:39:25,188 Phil Knight is in the position that he's in 843 00:39:25,188 --> 00:39:27,016 is because he's just whip smart. 844 00:39:27,016 --> 00:39:29,802 What a brilliant partnership. 845 00:39:29,802 --> 00:39:31,891 Everyone wanted to be like Mike. 846 00:39:31,891 --> 00:39:34,546 [Narrator] Nike has not only beaten Adidas in basketball, 847 00:39:34,546 --> 00:39:36,635 but is on track to surpass them 848 00:39:36,635 --> 00:39:39,899 as the number one athletic shoe company in the world. 849 00:39:44,730 --> 00:39:48,516 And it's a fact not lost on Horst Dassler. 850 00:39:48,516 --> 00:39:52,128 After Horst's mother passes away, he gets full control 851 00:39:52,128 --> 00:39:54,696 of the company and he starts to implement his vision 852 00:39:54,696 --> 00:39:57,090 and his idea for Adidas. 853 00:39:57,090 --> 00:39:58,918 [Narrator] In an attempt to strike back at Nike, 854 00:39:58,918 --> 00:40:01,181 he makes an unprecedented move 855 00:40:01,181 --> 00:40:03,923 by targeting a completely different demographic, 856 00:40:05,664 --> 00:40:08,928 signing a hip hop group to a million dollar deal. 857 00:40:08,928 --> 00:40:11,278 This emerging thing called called hip hop 858 00:40:11,278 --> 00:40:12,714 that was going to change the world, 859 00:40:12,714 --> 00:40:15,151 and so it was a monumental moment. 860 00:40:15,238 --> 00:40:17,850 [Narrator] The group's name is Run DMC 861 00:40:17,850 --> 00:40:20,200 and their song, "My Adidas," 862 00:40:20,287 --> 00:40:22,768 reaches number five on the Billboard charts. 863 00:40:22,768 --> 00:40:25,510 I think it's easy to misunderstand this song 864 00:40:25,510 --> 00:40:30,819 as a celebration of streetwear or name checking a brand. 865 00:40:30,950 --> 00:40:34,823 It was saying, I'm rocking these particular shoes 866 00:40:34,823 --> 00:40:39,132 as I break down barriers as a black artist, 867 00:40:39,132 --> 00:40:43,789 a rap artist, as a formerly underprivileged kid from Queens. 868 00:40:45,094 --> 00:40:47,009 And it lays the groundwork 869 00:40:47,009 --> 00:40:50,709 of so many celebrity, music, brand endorsements 870 00:40:50,709 --> 00:40:52,275 that we see today. 871 00:40:52,362 --> 00:40:55,365 [Narrator] That year, Adidas sells 500,000 pairs 872 00:40:55,365 --> 00:40:58,107 of Superstars, prompting them to roll out 873 00:40:58,107 --> 00:41:00,370 an entire Run DMC line. 874 00:41:00,370 --> 00:41:04,244 I would argue that what Michael Jordan did for Nike, 875 00:41:04,244 --> 00:41:06,072 Run DMC did for Adidas. 876 00:41:06,072 --> 00:41:09,075 It was that big and I would tell you, if people can remember, 877 00:41:09,075 --> 00:41:11,730 the Adidas thing was bigger than the Jordan thing. 878 00:41:11,817 --> 00:41:13,471 It's no longer just a sneaker company. 879 00:41:13,558 --> 00:41:15,081 It's a lifestyle company. 880 00:41:15,081 --> 00:41:17,213 And if it wasn't for Horst, 881 00:41:17,213 --> 00:41:18,780 I don't know if that would've happened. 882 00:41:18,780 --> 00:41:21,261 Unfortunately, Horst Dassler dies 883 00:41:21,261 --> 00:41:24,394 only one year later in 1987. 884 00:41:24,482 --> 00:41:26,788 His visionary approach left Adidas 885 00:41:26,788 --> 00:41:29,443 as the world's largest sports brand, 886 00:41:29,443 --> 00:41:32,968 earning nearly $2.2 billion. 887 00:41:32,968 --> 00:41:35,580 If you look at pretty much any given Adidas shoe 888 00:41:35,580 --> 00:41:39,845 to this day, you will see echoes of the original design 889 00:41:39,845 --> 00:41:42,848 that Adi Dassler made all those years ago. 890 00:41:42,848 --> 00:41:45,546 [Narrator] Yet in 2015, it's Phil Knight 891 00:41:45,633 --> 00:41:47,592 who takes the ultimate victory lap 892 00:41:47,592 --> 00:41:50,072 when he retires after accomplishing his goal 893 00:41:50,072 --> 00:41:51,683 of besting Adidas, 894 00:41:51,683 --> 00:41:55,948 raking in a staggering $51 billion a year. 895 00:41:57,471 --> 00:41:59,647 Nike's biggest impact on the world was convincing 896 00:41:59,647 --> 00:42:03,042 the world that any person who has a body is an athlete. 897 00:42:03,042 --> 00:42:05,740 And so they made it a lot more accessible. 898 00:42:05,740 --> 00:42:08,090 These brands all began with a moment 899 00:42:08,090 --> 00:42:11,964 of individual inspiration, and sometimes it's the most weird 900 00:42:11,964 --> 00:42:15,576 or unlikely place that that inspiration comes from. 901 00:42:15,576 --> 00:42:18,971 But nonetheless, the inspiration behind one 902 00:42:19,058 --> 00:42:23,236 or two individuals has become the source 903 00:42:23,236 --> 00:42:25,673 of these brands that have changed our lives 904 00:42:25,673 --> 00:42:27,240 and our country forever.