Nike Cortez

The Nike Cortez was the first track shoe created by Nike, in 1972, and is therefore thought to be a significant aspect to the success of Nike, Inc. The Nike Cortez was first designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. Bowerman, an Olympic-class track coach, felt that athletes needed a comfortable and durable running shoe designed for distance training and road running. The Nike Cortez was released at the peak of the 1972 Olympics, which is why it gained rapid exponential interest by the general public.

History

Initial partnerships

The Nike Cortez was created by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The men first met in 1957: Bowerman was the track and field coach at the University of Oregon, and Knight competed on Bowerman's team. The two friends became business partners soon after Knight purchased a large sum of Onitsuka Tiger brand athletic shoes from Japan. The initial name of their business was Blue Ribbon Sports and was later changed to Nike in 1972.^[1] Although the business was distributing decent athletic shoes, Bowerman believed that athletes deserved a better track shoe than what was available. After years of designing and experimenting, Bowerman finalized his image of the Nike Cortez in 1968; and in 1972 the shoe was released.

Impact on Nike

It is widely thought that the Nike Cortez was key to the success of Nike, Inc. The shoe was introduced to the general public at the peak of the 1972 Summer Olympics. The demand for the shoe grew exponentially nearly immediately after the public noticed that the Nike Cortez was being used by the 1972 U.S. Olympic athletes. Sales reached $800,000 during the first year the shoe was released, which was a 100% sales increase over the 8,000 sales inquiries reached after the first year of selling the Tiger brand shoes.^[1] This massive business investment ignited the start to placing Nike, Inc. on the pathway to triumph. Today Nike, Inc. has grown into a multi-billion dollar corporation and conducts business in more than 160 countries while employing more than 35,000 people.

Association with gangs

The black and white Nike Cortez is commonly worn by Latino gangs favoring the shoe's comfort and simple design. On January 2013, four Hispanic teenagers were targeted in a shooting after being asked why they were wearing Nike Cortez shoes. ^[2]

Design and features

Over the past 20 years, the Nike Cortez has been redesigned numerous times. Early on, the shoe set the standard for running shoes. Co-founder and Olympic-class track trainer Bill Bowerman was set on designing a running shoe that provided both comfort and durability. The foam is measured to be generously placed in more significant parts of the shoe with intentions of offering comfort, absorbing road shock and proving other health benefits. The combination of these two soles reduces leg fatigue, raises the heel of the shoe to reduce Achilles tendon strains and provides maximum comfort. One of the world's leading marathoners described the Nike Cortez as "the most comfortable shoe ever."^[3]

The shoe is given a simple outer design that consists of the Nike Swoosh symbol across the sides of the shoe and a streak across the lower portion of the outer sole. Leather was the first material used to construct the shoe. However Bowerman soon realized that he could reduce the weight of the shoe if he changed the material of the shoe's upper to nylon and suede. In 2009, a new design of the Nike Cortez - the Cortez Fly Motion - was released. The Cortez Fly Motion instituted flywire: a lightweight thread made of Vectran placed in the upper of the shoe, which further reduced the weight of the shoe.^[4]

Specifications

The weight of the Nike Cortez depends on the size of the shoe.^[5] The leather design weighs in at 13.4 oz, while the nylon and suede editions weight about 10.2 oz.

References