From Blue Ribbon Sports to the World's Most Iconic Swoosh

Nike started in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight with a shared passion for athletic performance. By 1971, the company officially became Nike Inc., and graphic designer Carolyn Davidson sketched the Swoosh logo for a fee of $35. Today, that symbol is one of the most recognised marks on the planet.

The real turning point came with the Waffle Sole in the 1970s, a design that revolutionised athletic footwear and gave Nike its first serious edge in the sport shoe market.

The Air Jordan and the Birth of Sneaker Culture

Few moments in sport history carry the weight of 1984, the year Nike signed a 21-year-old Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan 1 dropped in 1985 and changed everything. Colorways like the 'Bred' and the 'Chicago' became cultural currencies throughout the 1980s and 90s, worn as statements of identity and community belonging. An unworn original Air Jordan 1 from that era can now fetch between $35,000 and $50,000. These are not just sneakers. They are artefacts.

The Jordan line sits at the heart of our Nike collection. If Jordan is your entry point into the culture, you will feel right at home here.

The Silhouettes That Defined a Generation

The Air Force 1 crossed from the basketball court to the street and never looked back, becoming a hip-hop staple throughout the 1990s. The Nike Dunk found its second life in skateboarding before exploding into streetwear. The Air Max line, with its visible Air unit, bridged sport and style in a way no other brand managed at scale. Technologies like FlyKnit and React foam continue that legacy today.

Browse our full Nike sneaker collection to see what is currently in the shop.

Vintage Nike Clothing Worth Holding On To

Nike's clothing archive is every bit as rich as its sneaker history. Nylon track jackets, fleece pullovers, and bold graphic tees from the 1980s and 90s carry real cultural weight, and the materials from that era simply cannot be reproduced. At 2nd Culture, we handpick vintage Nike clothing with the same close attention we give every sneaker. Browse our vintage Nike clothing to see what is currently available.

Why Nike ACG Never Left the Streets

Nike ACG (All Conditions Gear) launched in 1989 as a performance line for outdoor athletes. Streetwear communities adopted it fast, drawn to the technical fabrics, functional silhouettes, and modular layering systems. A Nike ACG shell jacket over a heavy fleece midlayer, finished with a pair of trail-inspired Nike sneakers, is a complete look that works as well in Amsterdam as anywhere. If technical streetwear is your thing, also explore our Stone Island collection.

When the Swoosh Meets Something Bigger

Nike has always understood that the most interesting things happen at the edges. Collaborations like Nike x Matthew M. Williams (MMW) combine Nike's performance engineering with high-fashion construction, producing pieces that feel rare because they are. Check our Nike collection regularly for collab pieces that come through the shop.

How We Authenticate Our Nike Collection

Every item that enters our shop is closely inspected before it reaches the floor. We verify the 9-digit style code, check era-specific tag and label details, assess material quality, and look for natural ageing signs consistent with the claimed production year. When you shop Nike at 2nd Culture, you walk away with something real.