Iconic Shoes
Over the years Nike have invented several game-changing shoe silhouettes like the Air Max 1, the Nike Blazer, the Nike Dunk and the Air Max 90. They have also greatly influenced the world of streetwear apparel with their infamous Windrunner jacket and the AW 77 hoody.
Brand History
Nike was founded in January 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight and was originally called 'Blue Ribbon Sports'. Knight was a track athlete who ran for the University of Oregon and Bowerman was his coach. The name 'Nike', which was officially adopted by the company in 1978, was the name of the goddess of victory in Greek mythology.
Small Beginnings
Initially the company operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe company 'Onitsuka Tiger' and most sales were made at University track meets from the boot of Knights car.
The company did well and in 1966 was able to open its first retail store in Santa Monica, California. Their relationship with Onitsuka Tiger came to an end a few years later and they prepared to launch their own line of footwear.
Swoosh The company needed a marking/logo to be applied to their new shoes to make them recognisable and therefore promote the new brand. Knight turned to a graphic design student called Carolyn Davidson who he had met at Portland State University. He employed her at $2 per hour to supply some ideas. Knight and some other executives chose the mark now known as the Swoosh, although they were not blown away by the design. Knight is reported to have said to Davidson: "I don't love it, but I think it will grow on me."
The First Shoe
The first shoe that was sold to the public was a soccer shoe known as the Nike that was released in 1971. The following year an entire line of shoes were released under the same name and in 1978 BRS remamed itself Nike.
Recent Nike News
The last fews drops from Nike have brought the usual reworkings of classic silhouettes, giving them a fresh new look with simple, sharp colourways and the usual ingenious mix of materials.
The three colour-ways we recieved from the 'Air Max 1 ACG' pack have been incredibly popular on line and on the shop floor. This limited edition pack was inspired by Nike's outdoor range of the same name and contained a wide variation of colours from the loud to the more subdued, all made from a mix of mesh and suede.
The 'Toki' is still a new kid in the Nike fold having only existed as a silhouette for a few seasons. However, in it's short life it has become one of the most sort after shoes on the market. It success lies in its simplicity. It's chukka boot cut and vulcunized sole give it a classic look similar to Vans and other less chunky skate shoes. The colour-ways are usually restricted to three colours and the mesh lining means they're incredibly comfortable straight out the box with no need to break them in.
A silhouette that has enjoyed a big resurgence in popularity of late is the 'Blazer'. We currently have a couple of really slick colour-ways of the mid version that look like they've been lifted straight of a basketball court thirty years ago. The uppers are mainly constructed with an ultra tough canvas material with leather details. The swoosh being marked out with subtle perforations and stitches adds to the classic, understated look.
We've got a load of new Nike footwear and clothing in stock as we come into the Autumn/Winter season. A lot of them are new versions of Nike icons that are known and loved across the globe and there are a couple of new silhouettes to add to the Nike fold.
Starting with the clothing we have the new Nike Polyfill Parka in Black which is a robust all weather long jacket that will help you through the colder months. Then we have several colour variations of the streetwear icon known as the Nike Windrunner. This piece has been re-produced many times since Nike introduced it in 1980 and has always been a top seller due it's stylish design and the fact it is so lightweight. We currently stock the Nike Windrunner in Teal and Orange, Obsidan and White and Wolf Grey with Dark Shadow.
The Nike 'Still the Flyest' tee has a real eighties retro 'Just Do It' feel to it and we have it in black and in white. Going with the retro look we also have several classic Nike bags available at the moment. We have the Nike Heritage Small Bag in Maroon and White, the Nike Divers Bag Landscape in Maroon and White as well as Charcoal and Deep Red.
We have several new versions of the Nike Air Max 1 which have been released together as the Omega pack. We've got the Nike Air Max 1 ND in Black/White/Solar, the Nike Air Max 1 ND in Light Charcoal/Electric Green and the Nike Air Max 1 ND in Light Charcoal/Liquid Lime. These are a simple but stylish reworking of the classic.
A new silhouette from Nike which has been really popular since it's release last season is the Nike Toki. This mid top trainer has a smooth simple shape and is in many ways a modern version of the Nike Blazer. We currently stock the Toki ND in White/Grey spice and in Black/White.
The Nike Vandal is another Nike product that has been popular since the early eighties and at the moment we have several really nice versions of it. We've got the Womans Vandal in the High Denim colourway, the Vandal High Supreme QK Birch/Aster Pink, the Low version in Black/White and the High U version in White/Mid Navy.
Several wicked new colourways have come out recently for the iconic Nike Dunk basketball shoe which has always been one of the most popular high top sneakers since it's release in the late seventies. Some of these new versions are: the Dunk 08 ND Golden Harvest and the Dunk High Premium Blue/White. Nike has released this shoe in so many different colourways now it's unbelievable.
I mentioned the Nike Blazer earlier when describing the Toki but didn't mention that we stock it. We currently have the Nike Blazer High (VNTG) MD in Royal Blue. One silhouette that surpass' even the dunk for the number of variations it has been released as over the years is the Nike Air Force One. As it is a mainstay in urban clothing we have always stocked it at 5pointz. At the moment we have several versions including: the Nike Air Force 1 Premium Low in Black/Bone, the Nike Air Force 1 07 LE in Lucky Green/White and the Nike Air Force 1 Premium High in Light Bone.