The story behind Nike's brand which confirms how it should be pronounced
Published
| Last updated
It is a debate that goes back decades, one that has divided many friends and households - is it pronounced just 'Nike' or 'Nikey'?
These days, Nike is one of the most popular sportswear brands on the planet, with a net worth of over $183 billion (£161 billion) as of the 30 December 2022.
They sponsor some of the biggest and most popular athletes in the world, as well as kits for an endless number of sport teams worldwide.
Loading…
But while it may be a juggernaut now, Nike started off as just another small company with a rather curious ancient Greek-inspired name.
The name 'Nike' has been around for thousands of years, as it was the name of the Greek goddess who personified victory in many fields such as music, war and athletics.
The iconic Nike 'swoop' also dates back to Greek mythology and the history of the Grecian gods.
The Greek goddess Nike was the daughter of the goddess Styx and the titan Pallas.
There is an affiliation with sports over athletic competitions that the goddess apparently presided over.
So, as the popular sports brand was inspired by the Greek goddess - how is it pronounced?
Get ready to say 'I told you so', as the correct way you should be pronouncing it is in fact 'Nikey' - which is how the Greek goddess is pronounced.
When Nike founder Phil Knight was looking at different ideas for a logo, he wanted something that inspired movement and determination.
He ended up paying one of his students, Carolyn Davidson, to help design the logo for Nike.
After several designs were pitched to Knight, the founder settled on the logo that represented the wings of the Greek goddess.
In his 2016 memoir 'Shoe Dog', Knight spoke about his interest in ancient Greece and described how he was in awe while visiting the country.
He spoke about walking into the Temple of Athena, and how special that was for him.
As per Black Tomato, Knight said: "I don’t know how long I stood there, absorbing the energy and power of that epochal place. An hour? Three? I don’t know how long after that day I discovered the Aristophanes play, set in the Temple of Nike, in which the warrior gives the king a gift – a pair of new shoes.
"I don’t know when I figured out that the play was called Knights. I do know that as I turned to leave I noticed the temple’s marble façade.
"Greek artisans had decorated it with several haunting carvings, including the most famous, in which the goddess inexplicably leans down… to adjust the strap of her shoe."
