Bill Bowerman (Nike Co-Founder) Modified Onitsuka Tiger with Waffle Sole

Bill Bowerman is the heart of Nike. Bowerman, one of Nike’s founders, was one of the greatest innovators of his generation in regards to shoe ingenuity and design. Obsessed with weight and performance, Bowerman would build shoes for his University of Oregon runners from scratch, often using an assemblage of raw materials. 

Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman formed Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, and used the company to import Onitsuka Tiger Shoes from Japan and sell them in the United States. Eventually, Bowerman and Knight formed Nike in order to create their own brand.  

In this pair Bowerman can be seen tinkering with this Onitsuka Tiger design. Notably, he left the original upper of the Onitsuka Tiger shoe unmodified, however, added an early urethane waffle sole. Without the proper equipment, the results were inconsistent. Still, these are a remarkably rare example as very few have survived to this day and represent a crucial development in the creation of the waffle sole. 

Brown glue can be seen throughout the pair, especially where materials are held together. Unfortunately, as a result of this intensive and careful process – often undertaken in places without the proper ventilation – Bill would later suffer from nerve damage that would require him to walk with a cane. 

The waffles, of course, represent an important moment in the history of footwear, as Bill invented the design after being inspired by his wife’s waffle iron.