athletes to concentrate energy on finding psychological ways to enhance their peak performance.

Bowerman's focus on finding the competitive edge naturally led him to experiment in other areas as well. He was an early user of movie cameras as a teaching tool to help athletes study their technique. He worked on recipes for sports drinks, designed lighter uniforms, and developed new track surfaces. But Bowerman's biggest innovations came from his obsession with creating lighter, more effective running shoes. He began cobbling custom-made shoes for his runners, including half-miler Phil Knight in the 1950s. By the early 1960s, he and Knight formed the company that would later become Nike, Inc. Seeking better traction and cushioning for running shoes, Bowerman later experimented with putting urethane in his wife's waffle iron. Theresulting sole design revolutionized running shoes and catapulted Nike to prominence.

Bowerman also helped pioneer jogging in the United States after being introduced to the fitness routine in New Zealand in 1962. He began writing articles and books while creating a jogging program in Eugene that would become a national model as a fitness program. He teamed with cardiologist Waldo Harris in the mid 1960s to write two popular books entitled Jogging that helped elevate the sport to a national pastime. Bowerman counted the research that he and Harris conducted on the health benefits of running to be one of his greatest achievements.

Bill Bowerman died in 1999 in Fossil, Oregon. In recognition of his achievements, he is member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the USA Track