Faster Stronger Higher! How shoe brands create innovative footwear technology: Sport Science for the next Super Athletes Admittedly, I have always been more of an Adidas fan. However, this frank, emotional and in-depth look into the history of Nike and people behind its success has significantly boosted my appreciation of the brand. Taglines like “Just Do It” and “There Is No Finish Line” are not merely marketing propaganda but the embodiment of the spirit of the brand and its founding fathers. Also here are the original drawings by great European jewelers of the pieces they designed for their exotic and demanding clients. This immersive visual survey offers an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes exploration into Nike's ethos-driven design formula, placing industry-defining innovations and globally recognized products alongside previously unpublished designs, prototypes, insider stories, and more.

While not a business book per se, there are a lot of insights herein about entrepreneurship and challenges of running a successful business. The journey undertaken by Blue Ribbon Sports, the name of the company with which Knight started his distribution of the Onitsuka Tigers, was monumentally challenging in spite of encouraging sales and demand. What with the difficulties of dealing with the Japanese halfway across the world in a snail-mail era coupled with problematic and delayed shipments time and time again, and lousy conservative bankers who preferred equity (i.e. cash) over reinvested growth, Knight and his team of partners were constantly fighting a relentless uphill battle to stay afloat. Even when Nike as a brand was created, the challenges were far from over as manufacturing capacity and capital availability struggled to keep pace with the phenomenal growth. Let everyone else call your idea crazy . . . just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop." In 2016, sportswear manufacturer Nike and fashion designer Virgil Abloh joined forces to create a sneaker collection celebrating 10 of the Oregon-based company’s most iconic shoes. With their project The Ten—which reimagined icons like Air Jordan 1, Air Max 90, Air Force 1, and Air Presto, among others—they reinvigorated sneaker culture. Nike has recently released a stunning coffee table book featuring some of their most iconic products. It’s a great way to explore the brand’s extensive history and show off the iconic shoes, apparel, and accessories they have created over the years. This book is a must-have for any Nike fan and provides a great way to showcase the brand’s legacy and timeless style.

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This book will let you see what goes in the making of a world conquering brand. All the hard work, the determination, the conflicts, the laws and rules, the difficulties and the oppositions, the connections and the teamwork. I mean it's not all the details and everything but you will get to see a good view of what made Nike as it is today.

An anthological landmark publication that offers a behind-the-scenes insight into the internal design philosophy of Nike.”– Hypebeast It's about the connection, the right people we can trust, the investments we can do, consistently learning from our mistakes and knowing the people we are involved with and for those who we are giving the services for.

Art Sleeves

Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sports Sam Grawe is a writer, editor, creative director, and brand consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was previously global brand director for Herman Miller, where he lead integrated brand marketing and communications across a variety of platforms and media. Prior to this, he served as editor-in-chief of Dwell magazine. After going public in 1980, Nike struggled, and one of the company’s executive encouraged Knight, who was CEO, to sign an endorsement deal with NBA rookie Michael Jordan. A lucrative contract was finalized in 1984, and it revolutionized sports marketing and transformed Nike into an international powerhouse. The company’s line of Air Jordan sneakers became a phenomenon and are perhaps the world’s best-known shoes. In 1988 the company debuted its iconic slogan “Just Do It.”