Nike Cortez: The Nike Cortez was the company’s first track shoe, debuted in 1972, and is thus considered a crucial part of the company’s success. The Nike Cortez was created by Bill Bowerman, a Nike co-founder and Olympic-class track coach, who saw a need for a comfortable and durable Nike training shoe for distance training and road running.
The Nike Cortez was released during the 1972 Summer Olympics, which explains why it drew such a large amount of attention from the general public.
Initial collaboration with Nike Cortez
Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight designed the Nike Cortez. Bowerman was the track and field coach at the University of Oregon, and Knight was a member of his squad. Soon after Knight purchased the distribution rights for Onitsuka Tiger athletic shoes in the United States, the two friends formed a business partnership.
Their company was formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports before being renamed Nike in 1972. [3] Even though the company was selling good athletic shoes, Bowerman believed that players deserved a better track shoe than what was currently offered. Bowerman finished his image of the Nike Cortez in 1968, after years of designing and experimenting, and the shoe was introduced in 1972.
Which was inspired by Mexico’s 1968 Summer Olympic Games | Nike Cortez
The shoe’s original moniker was “Mexico,” which was inspired by Mexico’s 1968 Summer Olympic Games hosting. Following the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the shoe’s name was changed again, this time to something more memorable.
They chose the name Aztec, but Adidas feared legal action since it was too close to the Azteca Gold track shoe they already had. They chose the name “Cortez” soon after, in honour of Hernan Cortés, the Spanish Conquistador who led the expedition that brought the Aztec Empire to its knees. “Cortez obliterated the Aztecs”
Nike Cortez and Nike’s Reaction
The Nike Cortez is largely regarded as crucial to Nike, Inc.’s success. At the height of the 1972 Summer Olympics, the shoe was introduced to the entire public. After the public learned that the 1972 U.S. Olympic participants were wearing the Nike Cortez, demand for the shoe grew tremendously.
During the first year of the shoe’s debut, sales hit $800,000, a 100 percent increase over the 8,000 sales inquiries received following the first year of selling Tiger brand shoes. This significant business investment sparked the beginnings of Nike, Inc.’s triumphant journey. Nike, Inc. is now a multibillion-dollar organization with operations in more than 160 countries and over 35,000 employees.
Connections to gangs
Gangs in Los Angeles, particularly Hispanic gangs, love the black and white Nike Cortez because of its comfort and simplistic design. Four Hispanic teens were shot in a Brentwood, California neighborhood in January 2013 after being asked why they were wearing Nike Cortez shoes. They had all been hurt.
Features and design | Nike Cortez
The Nike Cortez has been redesigned multiple times over the last 20 years. The shoe established the benchmark for running shoes from the start. Bill Bowerman, co-founder and Olympic-class track trainer, was determined to create a running shoe that was both comfortable and durable.
The foam is abundantly placed in more critical portions of the shoe to provide comfort, cushion road shock, and other health benefits. These two bottoms work together to alleviate leg fatigue, lift the shoe’s heel to prevent Achilles tendon strains, and provide optimal comfort. The Nike Cortez has been dubbed “the most comfortable sneaker ever” by one of the world’s best marathon runners.
The shoe’s exterior design is straightforward, with the Nike Swoosh symbol running down the sides and a streak across the outer sole’s lower half. Although leather was first utilized to make the shoe, Bowerman soon learned that by switching the upper material to nylon and suede, he could lower the shoe’s weight. In 2009, Nike debuted the Cortez Fly Motion, a fresh style of the Nike Cortez.
Flywire was introduced in the Cortez Fly Motion, a lightweight Vectran thread inserted in the upper of the shoe, further reducing the shoe’s weight.
The shoe’s size determines the weight of the Nike Cortez.
The leather version weighs 13.4 oz (380 g), while the nylon and suede versions are 10.2 oz (290 g).
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