# In the 1950s, Bill Bowerman was a track coach at the University of Oregon.

*business · news · 2026-04-16 · Eugene Register-Guard*

## Key points

- Nike began as Blue Ribbon Sports, importing Japanese shoes before rebranding and launching its own designs.
- Bill Bowerman pioneered not only the waffle-soled Moon Shoe but also early Dri-fit tech and electrolyte drinks.
- Nike once banned a major reseller, Jordan Geller, who then created the world’s first sneaker museum: the Shoezeum.
- Nike shifted industry norms by creating women-specific sports gear rather than downscaling existing men's products.
- Recent labor and discrimination controversies include lawsuits and protests by supply-chain workers and female employees.

**Companies:** Nike
**Countries:** United States, Japan, Indonesia

[Read the full story on Eugene Register-Guard](https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2026/04/16/oregon-nike-just-do-it-history-impact/89628633007/)

---

Canonical: https://newsio.io/n/938e5945-81b2-40ed-87c6-2b5ddd3a74e7/in-the-1950s-bill-bowerman-was-a-track-coach-at-the-university-of-oregon-he-was
Summarized by Newsio from Eugene Register-Guard. https://newsio.io/how-it-works