Nike’s ‘Holy Grail’ Found Buried Under Garbage Pit

Tuesday, 01 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

It’s like finding the Titanic. Or the Holy Grail. For sports buffs, a discovery at the home of Nike’s “mad scientist” Bill Bowerman is making waves says the Oregonian. The waffle iron that inspired Nike’s trademark waffle soles was found underneath a garbage pit near Bowerman’s family home. Buried alongside was the original pair of track shoes that Bowerman made. The discovery was actually made last year but Nike just unveiled them to employees, two days after what would’ve been Bowerman’s 100th birthday.

Read more about Bowerman’s waffle iron experiment, which led to the introduction of the “moon shoe” in 1972.