EUGENE — The uniforms the Oregon Ducks wore Saturday started with a simple question: What would a “love letter” to Nike co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman look like?
The answer, in part: a handshake patch on one shoulder, iconography of Mt. Hood and Japan’s Mt. Fuji on the other, and symbols that include a waffle-iron print on the gloves and a gold bar on the helmets.
The design plays off Nike history, including Knight’s memoir, “Shoe Dog,” hence the “Shoe Duck” name for the uniforms.
Knight received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, where he ran track for Bowerman. The two cemented the idea for what became Nike with a handshake after a hamburger lunch in 1964.
Nike has since become the biggest company in Oregon history, with $46.3 billion in annual sales.
Phil and his wife Penny Knight are longtime philanthropic supporters of the University of Oregon’s academic and athletic programs. Their contributions include two $500 million gifts for a science campus and support for Hayward Field, the Knight Law Center and Knight Library.
The university has regularly recognized Knight’s contributions, including a bobblehead night in 2014 and giving him an honorary doctorate degree in 2020, the university’s highest honor.
Knight declined comment on Saturday’s uniforms.
When the university bestowed the honorary degree on him, Knight said he was “eternally grateful” to the university and called Bowerman the “the biggest influence on my life.”
“And I’ve said many, many times, without Bill Bowerman, there is no me,” he said. “And that is not an exaggeration. Without Bill Bowerman, there would be no Nike.”
Designing the uniforms started more than two years ago, said Todd Van Horne, a former Nike vice president who is founder and creative director at Van Horne Brands.
The idea: Create a “love letter” to the Knights and Bowerman for what they’ve meant to the state and the university, he said.
The football team’s staff and players helped with the design. Quinn Van Horne, senior designer for Van Horne Brands, recalled that the team had been reading “Shoe Dog.”
The handshake moment and other parts of the Nike story resonated with Oregon Coach Dan Lanning and his players. The color of the uniforms even nods to the cover of the book.
Among Todd Van Horne’s favorite touches is the gold bar on the back of the helmet that honors Bowerman’s service in World War II in the 10th Mountain Division, which he said was known for its officers going into battle before enlisted soldiers.
“That’s a sign of a leader,” he said.
Mt. Fuji patch symbolizes the bridging of two countries.
“Phil Knight’s crazy idea brought the world together,” Todd Van Horne said, echoing how Knight described the original concept behind what became Nike.
Among Todd Van Horne’s favorite touches is the gold bar on the back of the helmet that honors Bowerman’s service in World War II in the 10th Mountain Division.
“The captains would go into battle first,” Todd Van Horne said. “That’s a sign of a leader,” he added, describvOregon athletics and Nike.
Nike started as a company that imported Japanese track shoes. The Mt. Hood and Mt. Fuji patch symbolizes the bridging of two countries.
“Phil Knight’s crazy idea brought the world together,” Todd Van Horne said, echoing how Knight described the original concept behind what became Nike.
The University of Oregon and Nike are long-time partners.
Ann Miller, Nike’s top sports marketing executive, called the university a “launchpad” for Nike’s “boundary-pushing design.”
“The Shoe Duck uniforms are a bold tribute to Nike’s origins and our deep, decades-long connection with the University of Oregon,” she said in an email. “Every design element is purposeful – capturing the shared spirit of innovation, creativity, and fearless self-expression that defines both Nike and Oregon Football.”
Duck Stores in Portland and Eugene were either sold out of the uniforms on Friday afternoon or had low inventory.
“I like the story behind it,” said Portland’s Trevor Salstrom, who wore one of the jerseys to Saturday’s game, and ranked it one of his favorite Oregon jerseys of all time.
Before the football team ran onto the field on Saturday, a brief video played inside Autzen Stadium thanking the Knights.
“Now it’s time to give you and Penny flowers, to say thank you for everything,” the video said, concluding, “With love. Oregon.”