Eugene, and this should come as no surprise to many, is the birthplace of Nike. The city has deep ties with the company because of the University of Oregon and its athletic programs.
Eugene is home to only one brick and mortar Nike store but remains influential on campus. Students of the school still wear its Nike influence proudly.
“I personally love Nike as a company and I see a lot of the athletes wearing it around and such like that. A lot of students, too, seem to like it,” UO junior Kevin Pierro said.
Nike co-founder and UO alumnus Phil Knight has kept his name associated with the University of Oregon for years with massive donations toward the athletic and science programs. Knight and the university are nearly inseparable, with most of the school’s merchandise also being Nike products.
“If you’re around the campus, I feel like it would be pretty easy to pick up. Especially the athletic department. I think once you see that, it would be like, ‘Okay, everything seems to be Nike here,’” Pierro said.
The school-branded apparel creates a larger audience of the average student not involved in collegiate athletics.
“I was just in the Rec and every single sweatshirt in there is Nike and has an ‘O’ on it,” sophomore Alyssa Petty said.
Brand recognition and association to all forms of Oregon athletics keeps Nike as Oregon’s No. 1 athleticwear option. The brand has essentially tapped into the student body as a whole.
“A majority of the Duck merchandise that I see is Nike. I feel like that has a big impact because a lot of what people are wearing to represent the school also ends up representing Nike at the same time,” Petty said.
Many students find it hard to justify Nike purchases at its original price point. A pair of sweatpants from its popular Tech Fleece collection runs $125 retail, a potentially steep price to pay for comfort.
“This might be a hot take, but if you don’t have the perks to go to the employee store and get those discounts, there are better brands,” Petty said.
The Nike Company Store near their headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, is where Nike employees get to use a 50% discount on all Nike merchandise, while friends and family get a 40% discount.
“It definitely works for a lot of people. If you’re in the right budget, it works for you. But if you’re not, there are better [and] cheaper options,” Petty said.
There is a chance that Nike eventually leaves Eugene, but until that day its influence seems unlikely to go anywhere.
