Nike is one of the world’s leading sportswear and equipment manufacturers. It leads the world in sales of athletic shoes. The company was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight. Its first name was Blue Ribbon Sports but that changed to Nike in 1978. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. It is famous for its slogan, “Just Do It” and the Swoosh logo, which Nike first used in 1971. Blue Ribbon’s first product was a soccer shoe called Nike. A major factor in Nike’s success is its sponsorship of top sports stars. Tennis ace Ilie Nastase was the first. Subsequent tie-ups with superstars like basketball’s Michael Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods accelerated Nike’s corporate success. Nike has had to defend itself against criticism that its products are made by children and workers paid below the legal minimum wage in sweatshops.