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The U.S. Patent Office granted Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman eight patents in his career.
(Nike)
Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was among 15 people inducted Wednesday into the National Inventors Hall of Fame at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va.
"Bowerman's most important innovations focused on the outer soles of the shoes," says the Hall of Fame website. "Specifically, he designed lightweight models with good traction, but without the traditional metal spikes, that were appropriate for a variety of surfaces, including artificial tracks. His Waffle Trainer sole featured raised nubs, similar to those on modern mountain bike tires, which gave the shoe traction while maintaining a low weight."
Bowerman, who the University of Oregon's track coach for 23 years, co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 with one of his former runners, Phil Knight.
In 1964, Bowerman entered a partnership with a former athlete, Phil Knight, forming Blue Ribbon Sports. With the invention of the Waffle Trainer, they decided to mass-produce Bowerman's designs and they changed the name to Nike, Inc. Within another decade, Nike was a household name and was sponsoring famous athletes. Today, Nike, Inc. remains a highly recognizable brand and is a multinational corporation.
At the University of Oregon, "he was known as a thinker and a tinkerer," the website says. "He was constantly working to improve training procedures and equipment. His top priority was making shoes lighter and faster, and he holds multiple patents related to athletic shoe design."
Bowerman also is a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame. He's the namesake of the Bowerman Award, given each year to the most outstanding male and female track and field athletes.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame was established in 1973 and honors monumental individuals who have contributed great technological achievements and helped stimulate growth in the United States.
-- Allan Brettman