Oregon Unveils ‘Shoe Duck’ Uniforms Honoring Nike’s Phil Kni…

The Oregon Ducks honored Nike co-founder and Oregon alum and donor Phil Knight with a tribute video on Sunday, and will also pay homage to him with their “Shoe Duck” uniforms against Oregon State on Saturday.

“We’re just grateful for everything he’s done,” senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher said in a statement. “We wouldn’t be the University of Oregon—the Mecca—without his help. And even though he doesn’t want his flowers—naming buildings after other people, which is great—this is our way of giving him his flowers. Recognizing that we’re just grateful that he’s been able to help us along the way.”

Oregon players and coaches were consulted in the design of the uniforms, which include a number of nods to Knight.

Among them, the “uniform’s base color of anthricite, the gold cleats and indeed even the project’s name—’Shoe Duck’—were inspired by the cover of Knight’s book about Nike’s founding, ‘Shoe Dog.'” 

Additionally, the “gloves bear a waffle print, representing the waffle iron that Bowerman used to make an early prototype of the sneakers Nike would go on to produce.”

The matte helmet has wings on each side, “mimicking the tail of Knight’s private jet—which represents his two passions—it bears on one side the classic Duck wing of previous Oregon helmets, and on the other side the wing of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.”

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