Happy 50th Birthday to Nike — Ignitor of a cultural basketball revolution!
As 90s kids, many of us grew up in an era heavily influenced by basketball. Menswear was basically an oversized NBA uniform. Michael Jordan dominated the game, made it to Hollywood and became a global brand icon. Nike placed itself on the feet of Jordan and others and emerged as a cultural powerhouse. Last week Nike turned 50 and reminded us all of the vast innovation and inspiration the brand has brought to the world of sports and to basketball fans in particular over the last six decades; they truly changed the game!
Before any of this was a thing, there was a man named Sonny Vaccaro. Sonny is the sneakerhead OG–the reason that there is a Jordan Brand. He would organize basketball tournaments for high school kids and travel around the country to ensure if there was talent to be seen, he was there forming personal relationships. You can learn more about this in Sole Influence, which was my first introduction to Sonny Vaccaro. Another fascinating read is the growth of Blue Ribbon (Nike) through the stories in Shoe Dog. This is a history lesson in marketing, sportswear and the role basketball has played in the foundation of sportswear fashion that continues today.
It all began with a track coach at the University of Oregon that was to be one of the future founders of the sneaker industry. He was Bill Bowerman, an entrepreneur who would do anything to give his athletes (mainly long distance runners) the edge to cross the line first. This led to him developing the first concepts for a lightweight track shoe, which he made in his wife’s waffle maker. One of his team members at the time was a young Phil Knight. Together they founded Blue Ribbon Sports and eventually Phil Knight overcame many challenges to establish Nike as the foundational American brand it is recognised as in the sports world today. Long story short, read Shoe Dog and watch Soleman on ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.
Vaccaro eventually joined Nike, launched the “Air Jordan’’ empire in the 1980s and paved the way for the commercialization of youth basketball for decades. Air Jordan was everywhere, but it could have very easily been a different scenario for the swoosh. Sonny didn’t know Michael Jordan until the Final Four, where he wore Converse. The team had a deal, but Jordan loved Adidas. He practiced in Adidas and they had the best tracksuits in his opinion. Vaccaro’s first time meeting Jordan was during his pitch to sign him for Nike, but he knew his potential. Convincing MJ eventually with the offer of multiple cars and his own shoe line, including 25% of the profits. Vaccaro pleaded with Nike to put everything into the Jordan offer before he had even played a game in the NBA. He had his job on the line and went to his trusted family ties to convince Jordan’s mother on the deal, who became an influential factor.
Vaccaro formed the first college deals and through contracts with coaches, encouraged teams across the country to wear Nike. Players such as Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, both signed shoe deals brokered by Vaccaro after turning high school games into auditions for the NBA on their way to stardom. Sonny Vaccaro believed fundamentally about the welfare of the kids playing basketball. He is known as the “godfather of grassroots hoops” and was influential in the Ed O’Bannon antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA which sought athletes’ rights to their NIL. Following the NCAA restriction on athlete endorsement lifted last year, it would be fascinating to get Sonny’s thoughts if anyone can connect us with him. It is these cultural icons who inspired the sneaker deals which have prominent influence today.
The current state of fashion is heavily influenced by streetwear, a subculture and corner of fashion associated with the underground. Sports influence, namely basketball and skateboarding has been a core component of the style and intrinsic identity. The rise of core streetwear brands and collaborations with Nike (Virgil, UNDFTD, Supreme) has brought subcultures to the forefront and through RTFKT we’re seeing the next evolution unfold. We’re excited for the next 50 years.
Krause House DAO is igniting a new revolution in sportswear and has partnered with Metafactory to bring the future of wearable technology to basketball fans with the Krause House DAO Debut Edition Jersey, available for preorder now!
