The Man Who Named Nike
Near Dundee, Oregon
This trail honors Jeff Johnson, a middle-distance runner from Stanford who became the first full-time employee of a tiny shoe company called Blue Ribbon Sports.
In the early years he ran the whole mail-order operation almost single-handedly, selling running shoes out of the trunk of his car, photographing the products, writing the catalogs, and answering customer letters by hand. Phil Knight, the company's founder, later said Johnson did the work of several people for very little pay.
The company needed a real name before a looming deadline. Johnson woke from a dream with a single word in his head. Nike, the Greek winged goddess of victory.
Knight was not thrilled. He had wanted something else entirely, but the clock was running, so he reluctantly agreed. That sleepy suggestion became one of the most valuable brand names on Earth.
