Sep 16, 2025
When Nike founder Phil Knight first saw the iconic Swoosh logo, presented for his appraisal by (at the time) Portland State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson, he told her, "I don't love it, but maybe it will grow on me." It's fair to say it has grown on him — and everybody else — since that first look back in 1971.
Davidson's assignment was to design a "stripe" for Knight's budding shoe company, Blue Ribbon Sports. She was instructed to make it convey a sense of motion and to keep the design far away from the look of the three stripes used by adidas. Her "checkmark" was inspired by the curve of the wings of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
The young designer was initially paid $35 for the Swoosh, though that was later supplemented by a generous chunk of Nike stock and a diamond ring once it became apparent she'd made a world-class logo.
The history behind the Nike logo doesn't tell us exactly how the "checkmark" became the Swoosh, but it's generally accepted that the name came from an approximation of the sound you hear when runners rush past.
Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, changing the name of the company to Nike in May 1971. The Swoosh logo was first used about two weeks later.
The original logo had an all-caps NIKE in Futura Bold sitting on the Swoosh — an element that didn't change until 1995. The company has long favored a red, black and white color palette for the Swoosh (though it has appeared in almost every color conceivable over the years). Minimal design updates paired with massive endorsements from the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have contributed to the logo's evolution from a shoe company "stripe" to a global icon.
That transition has only been enhanced by Nike's gradual cultural crossover from sports brand to fashion staple, boosted by the massive influence of the Jordan brand and numerous iconic sneakers.
The enduring appeal of the Swoosh surely lies in its captivating simplicity. A curved line, suggesting motion, speed and energy, essentially unchanged for more than 50 years. We're at the point in Nike Swoosh logo history where it has been used across apparel, sneakers, sports of every description and pure branding campaigns. It's easy to recognize and conjures strong emotional attachments based on its place as the logo of choice for some of the world's greatest athletes.
Tap into the history of the Nike logo — explore iconic sneakers, such as the Air Force 1 '07, Nike Total 90, Nike Shox TL and Jordan 4 Retro "Rare Air" colorway. Shop Nike classics at Hibbett online or via the Hibbett mobile app. Or stop by your local Hibbett store to try on your next pair of sneakers from the historic House of Swoosh.
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