Knight, Philip H.

Knight, Philip H. (Hampson)

(1938– ) footware entrepreneur; born in Portland, Ore. A former college miler and Stanford M.B.A., he began importing Japanese running shoes in 1967 in partnership with coach Bob Bowerman. Their Nike brand (1972) took off after the introduction of an innovative waffle sole (1975) and became the dominant athletic shoe of the decade through constant technological improvement and heavy advertising by professional athletes.