More Than a Swoosh: Every Nike Logo & the Story Behind Them

Renowned for its revolutionary sneaker designs, Nike is without a doubt one of the biggest footwear brands of all time. From classics such as the Air Max 1 right through to weird and wonderful silhouettes you’ve probably never heard of, there’s a lot to be said for the design team over at the Swoosh. Whether you’re a die-hard Nike fan or simply flicking through the ranges, it’s hard to not appreciate the amount of thought and effort that’s gone into those designs, but it’s not just the sneakers that deserve all the glory.

One thing that sets Nike apart from its competitors is just how in-depth each project becomes, which is why nearly every subdivision or special-edition range from over the years has had its very own bespoke logo created. Join us here at The Sole Supplier as we take a deep dive into the stories and inspirations behind some of our favourite Nike logos of all time!

If you’re a keen sneakerhead and have read Shoe Dog, we’re sure you’re already aware of what Blue Ribbon Sports was. When Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman first joined forces to create the running shoes they had always dreamed of, the company that would later become Nike originally operated under the BRS name. The first iteration of the Blue Ribbon Sports logo was conceptualised in 1967 and was simply a horizontal typeface motif, although shortly after the interlocking letter design as seen above was introduced.

This combination of lettering and a script logo remained in place at BRS until the company eventually transitioned into Nike in 1976. The Swoosh brand has revisited the Blue Ribbon Sports logo plenty of times over the years, often using it throughout dedicated running collections to pay homage to the humble roots of the company.

As Blue Ribbon Sports began to grow and evolve as a business the brand opted to rename itself Nike in 1976. While this was all well and good, the team at the time was struggling to find a recognisable logo that could accompany the name. While Phil Knight was working at Portland State University he enlisted graphic design student Carolyn Davidson to create a logo for the brand, which eventually became one of the most iconic logos of all time - the Nike Swoosh. Originally called the stripe when it was first sketched, the Swoosh was accompanied by Nike script lettering underneath.

By 1976, Nike had swapped the script font for Futura, which is still used across Nike’s logos and branding today. Other than several small colour changes over the years, this legendary combination has remained largely unchanged to the present day.

A great logo can be altered and adapted to offer different variations and styles, and that’s exactly what happened to the Nike Swoosh shortly after it was introduced. Nike’s first-ever employee Jeff Johnson is widely regarded as one of the most influential members of the early team, and in 1976 he created a fresh rendition of the logo that showcased multiple Swoosh logos arranged in a circular fashion.

Aptly-titled the “Pinwheel” but also often referred to as the "Sunburst", this logo was finalised by Geoff Hollister and was mainly used for running apparel, although it never fully caught on. Regardless of this, the logo has been revisited aplenty and still makes its way onto new season track gear on a regular basis, especially collections inspired by vintage Nike styles.

It’s all about the Jumpman. First introduced in 1988, this logo is arguably the most important in Jordan Brand’s history and is adored by sneakerheads all around the world. While the first two Air Jordan releases instead bore the wings logo, the late Peter Moore decided that the look was too childish when he began creating the AJ3. The design was created when Moore traced the silhouette of Michael Jordan from an advertising poster, in an attempt to create a symbol that would resonate with the masses and be instantly recognisable.

While just a silhouette, the logo is actually fairly detailed, with things like MJ’s sneakers, wristbands and even facial features noticeable. Interestingly enough, in the photo that Peter Moore famously outlined, MJ was actually wearing New Balance kicks as it was taken before he had signed the Nike deal! The Jumpman is still used across a vast array of Jordan footwear and apparel today and has become synonymous with sneaker culture.

First coined at an advertising agency meeting in 1988, Just Do It, or JDI for short, remains one of Nike’s key values even today. The logo was an integral part of a huge advertising campaign directed at the aerobics market, after a huge surge in fitness gear popularity in the late 1980s. According to reports, the original campaign allowed Nike to grow its share of the North American sports market from 18% to 43%. Dan Wieden, the founder of the Wieden+Kennedy agency states that he drew inspiration for the slogan from notorious criminal Gary Gilmore’s last words “Let’s do it”.

Throughout the years a number of notable athletes have starred in Just Do It campaigns such as Bo Jackson, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and Kobe Bryant. The motivational slogan was the embodiment of Nike as a sports-driven business that prides itself on success.

By 1999 Nike was already the undisputed king of footwear technology and had been trialling different cushioning methods across its range of sneakers. The brand eventually launched a series of logos titled the “Elements Series” to differentiate technologies from one another. Derek Welch was the man responsible for the series and states that he based his designs on the scientific elements. The Swoosh logo was of course included across the emblems in order to offer that familiar Nike touch.

While logos were created for Zoom Air, Trim Line and Lo Air, the most notable of the bunch has to be the Tuned Air logo that resides on the heel of the famous Air Max Plus. Decked out in a yellow hue and offered in a hexagonal shape, this logo was a crucial part of the Nike TN launch and strikes a familiar chord with Air Max aficionados across the world.

While we’ve already touched on the Jumpman, it’s now time to roll back the years and take a look at the also-legendary Jordan Wings logo. When Michael Jordan first signed with Nike back in 1985, designer Peter Moore was tasked with creating a logo for the game-changing partnership. As the famous story goes, Moore left a meeting with MJ’s agent and jumped on a flight back to Portland when inspiration hit. Grabbing a pen and a cocktail napkin from the flight crew, he began to sketch out ideas for the logo, continuing to work on it for the rest of the plane journey.

By the time he had touched down back home, Peter Moore had the now-iconic Jordan Wings logo ready to go. Incorporating a basketball, a set of majestic wings and “Air Jordan” typeface, this simple yet effective logo has now become an immensely recognisable powerhouse in terms of branding.

When Sergio Lozano created the Air Max 95 in 1995 he revolutionised the footwear market, offering a high-technology sneaker that showcased a look like nothing before it. To accompany the groundbreaking sneaker design he knew that he needed a killer logo to match. Enlisting the help of Jeff Weithman, the duo set to work to create what was to become one of the most legendary Air Max logos of all time.

The oval-shaped design was decked out in hits of grey, black and neon green, mirroring the colourway of the Air Max 95 OG “Neon”. Instead of opting for block capital letters like most Nike logos, the 95 motif instead goes for a lower case wordmark, allowing it to differ from the rest of the crowd. You can find this logo still in use today across Air Max 95 releases and various apparel lines.

Nike ACG (All Conditions Gear) remains one of Nike’s most popular apparel lines today, with its collections offering up durable outdoor-friendly garments combined with razor-sharp looks. The line was birthed in 1989 and originally opted for a triangular logo, inspired by the international symbol for danger. The ACG line continued to grow in popularity over the next few years and by 1996 the design team felt like it was time to update the logo to appeal to a new generation.

Michael Hernandez reworked the original logo into a shape that resembles a set of lungs, creating what’s now known amongst Nike collectors as the “lungs logo”. Widely-regarded as the golden-age of Nike SB, this logo was used from the mid-nineties right through to the early 2000s and has recently been revisited by the Nike design team.

The Nike Air Huarache (a Tinker Hatfield design) is easily one of the most innovative silhouettes on the Nike footwear roster, and of course it has an equally-impressive logo to match in true Nike fashion. Placed on the tongue tab of most Huaraches, the logo was designed by John Norman and presents us with a circular look with a futuristic emblem inside.

Air Huarache By Nike surrounds the wave-like logo, although later renditions of the design do away with the text completely and let the graphics do all the talking. With the reintroduction of the Air Huarache fully upon us, you don’t have to go too far when browsing sneakers before you come across this iconic motif.

If you liked this article, be sure to check out some of our others: