Overview

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to meet someone who doesn’t own at least one piece of sportswear featuring a recognisable logo. Leading sports brands have become integral to our daily attire, seamlessly blending functionality with style. 

The Rise of Sports Brands

Initially, sports brands focused on crafting gear that was practical and suited to specific athletic activities. As the interest in health and fitness grew, these brands saw an opportunity to cater to a broader market. They started designing products that were effective for sports and stylish enough for casual wear. This shift has made sports apparel a common sight not just in gyms and sports fields, but also on the streets and in everyday casual settings.

Style and Function Combined

One of the key reasons for the popularity of sports brands is their ability to combine style with functionality. The development of materials that can improve comfort and enhance performance is central to their offerings. For example, the use of breathable fabrics that help maintain body temperature and moisture-wicking technology in sportswear ensures that individuals can perform at their best without discomfort. Similarly, the evolution of footwear has seen the introduction of various technologies aimed at improving support and reducing injury risks, catering to the needs of diverse activities from running to team sports.

Sports brands invest heavily in design and trend research to ensure their products are also fashionable. The aesthetic appeal of sports apparel has attracted a wider audience, who wear these items as a statement of their lifestyle and personal values.

Cultural Impact

Sports brands also play a significant role in shaping cultural trends. They often promote values such as teamwork, perseverance, and health, which resonate with a broad audience. Through strategic marketing campaigns and partnerships with influencers, sports brands create a sense of community and belonging among their customers. This helps in building a loyal customer base and in establishing a positive brand image.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Another important aspect of sports brands is their focus on inclusivity and accessibility. Many brands have expanded their product lines to welcome a diverse range of body types and abilities, promoting a message of inclusiveness. By doing so, they are increasing their market and encouraging people from various backgrounds to engage in sports and physical activities.

Commitment to Sustainability

In recent years, there has been a growing trend among sports brands towards sustainability. Integrating sustainable practices into their production—like using recycled materials and reducing waste—these brands appeal to the environmentally conscious consumer and help to set industry standards for sustainability. 

Naming and Domain Strategies Among Sports Brands

In the following section, we will analyse five of the most renowned sports brands, focusing on their naming and domain strategies. This exploration will highlight how these brands have crafted their identities and established their online presence in the market.

Nike

Nike Inc. is the most recognisable and successful sports brand in the world, known for its extensive line of footwear, apparel, and equipment. The company was founded as “Blue Ribbon Sports” by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight on January 25, 1964, and officially rebranded to its current name on May 30, 1971. The name was inspired by Νίκη (pronounced Naïkee), the Greek goddess of victory, reflecting the brand’s aspiration to assist athletes in their performance. 

Nike markets a wide array of products under various brand names, including Air Max, Nike CR7, Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Nike Blazers, Foamposite, Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, Nike Skateboarding, and owns subsidiaries like Air Jordan and Converse. The company also operates its retail stores under the Niketown banner. 

Nike’s remarkable success is largely due to the endorsement of famous athletes such as Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. These endorsements, along with the iconic slogan “Just Do It” and the widely recognisable Swoosh logo, greatly enhanced the brand’s recognition.

The brand’s mission is “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete“.

We are expanding sport. Fifty years of listening to athletes, alongside our culture of innovation, has led us to products and services that are increasingly inclusive and consider body, mind and life.

Nike

Nike’s domain strategy showcases its independence and dominance as a global brand through its ownership of over 33,400 domain names. This portfolio includes its primary CVCV domain, Nike.com and local extensions for various markets, such as nike.fr, nike.com.au, and nike.de. Beyond geographic domains, Nike holds rights to domains that reflect its key slogans and marketing initiatives, like JustDoIt.com and LetMePlay.com, as well as domains for its subsidiary brands, such as Jordan.com and AirJordan.com. The collection includes defensive registrations to prevent misuse, including potential misspellings and derogatory variations like Niike.com, Nikeshit.com, Nikeporn.com and Nike.sucks, safeguarding its reputation.

Nike owns domains that resonate with its iconic branding, such as Swoosh.com, and uses domains like NikeFit.com and NikeTraining.com to connect users directly to its products. This strategic domain ownership eliminates the need for third-party sellers, allowing Nike to avoid the pitfalls of counterfeit products and algorithm changes in digital marketplaces. By funnelling sales through its own distribution channels, including its robust e-commerce platform and physical stores, Nike ensures customer satisfaction, strong brand presence, and reputation management without reliance on external platforms.

Adidas

Adidas is currently the second-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, second only to Nike. The company’s roots trace back to 1924 when Adolf Dassler began making shoes in his mother’s house. He was soon joined by his elder brother, Rudolf, and together they established the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Dasslers specialised in designing and producing shoes for various sports, continuously refining their designs to meet athletes’ evolving needs.

Their global breakthrough came during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where American sprinter Jesse Owens captured gold medals while wearing their shoes.  However, the partnership between the Dassler brothers was short-lived. In 1949, following a breakdown in their relationship, Adolf and Rudolf parted ways. Adi Dassler founded his own company, “Adidas,” a blend of his nickname “Adi” and the first three letters of his surname “Das.” Rudolf established his own company, “Puma”, leading to one of the most famous rivalries in the sportswear industry.

Under Adi Dassler’s guidance, Adidas quickly became a well-known sports brand, celebrated for its high-quality athletic shoes with smart designs and new technologies. It didn’t take long for athletes and sports fans around the world to start loving the brand. Over time, Adidas expanded its offerings beyond just footwear, venturing into sportswear and accessories. They kept coming up with new ideas and products by working closely with famous athletes. In 2005, Adidas expanded even more by acquiring the American sportswear company Reebok.

Athletes do not settle for average. And neither do we. We have a clear mission: To be the best sports brand in the world. Every day, we come to work to create and sell the best sports products in the world, and to offer the best service and consumer experience – and to do it all in a sustainable way. We are the best when we are the credible, inclusive, and sustainable leader in our industry.

Adidas

Adidas manages a large portfolio, owning over 6,400 domain names, including different extensions and common misspellings of its own name, such as Adiddas.com and Addidas.com. This strategy ensures that even if customers were to mistakenly misspell the brand name, they are redirected to the correct website. Owning a variety of domain names, including these misspellings, is a common practice among companies to protect their brand and capture all possible web traffic. 

Adidas has been added to our recent article Personal names as brand names.

New Balance

New Balance Athletics, Inc. is a renowned global sports footwear and apparel manufacturer. Founded in 1906 by English immigrant William J. Riley, the company started as the New Balance Arch Support Company in the Boston area. 

The origin of the company’s name is particularly interesting.  Riley was inspired by observing the perfect balance of chickens in his yard, noting how their three-pronged feet provided stable support. He designed his arch supports with three points to mirror this stability, which he demonstrated by using a chicken foot on his office desk to explain the balance concept to his customers.

For decades, New Balance primarily produced arch supports, gaining popularity among workers who stood for long hours and athletes looking for better foot comfort. This led to a significant expansion into athletic footwear with the creation of their first shoe, the Trackster, in 1961. However, New Balance remained relatively unknown in the broader market until 1972, when Jim Davis bought the company on the day of the Boston Marathon.

Under Davis’s leadership, New Balance grew substantially. In 1976, the company launched the 320 running shoe, which featured the now-iconic “N” logo and was named the best running shoe of the year by “Runner’s World” magazine. Another breakthrough came in 1988 with the introduction of the 574 model, which became one of the world’s most famous sneakers.

Today, New Balance maintains a strong manufacturing presence, differentiating its products with technical features like blended gel inserts, heel counters, and a wide selection of sizes to accommodate all foot widths. New Balance continues to thrive as a leader in the sports footwear market, driven by a commitment to comfort, innovation, and perfect balance.

According to Whoxy data, New Balance Athletics, Inc. owns over 1,500 domain names, including NewBalance.com. For a company like New Balance, which operates internationally, owning a vast array of domain names is a strategic approach that protects the brand and boosts its visibility and accessibility across various regions and markets. This helps ensure that customers worldwide can easily find and interact with New Balance, enhancing the overall reach and effectiveness of its digital presence.

Asics 

Asics is a renowned Japanese multinational corporation that produces sportswear. The company was founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka, originally as Onitsuka Co., Ltd. in Kobe, Japan. It began as a manufacturer of basketball shoes but has since expanded its offerings to include a variety of sports footwear and apparel.

Asics is particularly known for its technological innovations in the field of sports shoes. One of its most notable technologies is the Gel cushioning system, introduced in 1986, which reduces shock during impact and toe-off phases, allowing for smooth movement over a variety of surfaces. This technology has been incorporated into many of their flagship footwear products and remains a hallmark of the Asics brand.

Over the years, Asics has been committed to supporting both amateur and professional athletes worldwide. It has sponsored numerous Olympic athletes and is a frequent presence at major sporting events. The company also invests in sports science research, exemplified by the establishment of the Asics Institute of Sport Science in 1990, where researchers work to improve product performance and safety. 

The name “Asics” is an acronym derived from the Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” which translates to “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”.

We’ve always believed in the positive benefits of movement on the body, and the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS. ‘Anima Sana In Corpore Sano’ or a Sound Mind in a Sound Body. Our founder, Kihachiro Onitsuka recognised that sport had the power to uplift people’s minds in post-war Japan. And so, he dedicated his life, and our company, to helping both individuals and societies improve their wellbeing through sport. More than 70 years on, we still believe this.

Asics

Emphasising its global presence, Asics uses the Exact Brand Match (EBM) .com domain Asics.com, along with various other domains with different extensions. This approach helps protect the Asics brand and increases its visibility and accessibility in different regions and markets, an important step for a company that serves a global customer base.  

Decathlon

Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting goods retailer, was established in 1976 by Michel Leclercq and his team, often referred to as the “gang of seven,” which included Didier Decramer, Stéphane Delesalle, Nicolas Dubrulle, Stanislas Ernoult, Hervé Valentin, and Benoit Poizat. The company opened its first store in Lille, France, and has since expanded to more than 1,700 stores across over 70 countries. Decathlon is celebrated for its extensive selection of sporting goods, ranging from tennis rackets to advanced camping equipment,  making it a one-stop shop for sporting enthusiasts of all levels.

Decathlon’s core philosophy is to make sports more accessible to everyone, irrespective of their skill level or economic status. This ethos is reflected in their slogan, “Sport for all. All for sport.” To achieve this, Decathlon focuses on the design, manufacturing, and distribution of its own products, marketed under various speciality brands that correspond to specific sports or outdoor activities. The company also invests heavily in research and development to produce high-quality, durable, and affordable sports equipment. 

Decathlon places a strong emphasis on sustainability, striving to reduce its environmental impact. They aim to innovate products that are more eco-friendly and have initiatives in place to achieve a more sustainable production process, including the use of eco-designs and recycled materials.

The name “Decathlon” derives from the athletic competition known as the decathlon, a term used in the Olympic Games to describe a combined event consisting of ten different track and field disciplines.

We have our idea. We now have to find our brand’s name. The gang of 7 begins to think, and they are not lacking on ideas: Pentathlon, Triathlon, Decathlon, Marathon, Sportland, Supermarket, etc. There’s no doubt about it, it will be DECATHLON! Simply because decathlon brings together the 10 sports they want to present in their stores. Today, DECATHLON is still called DECATHLON, but gathers together far more than 10 sports under one roof.

Decathlon

Given Decathlon’s expansive range of sub-brands and services, it’s no surprise that the company manages a portfolio of over 17,000 domain names, including Decathlon.com. This array of domains enhances brand protection, ensuring that Decathlon retains exclusive control over its online presence and prevents potential misuse by competitors. It also improves user experience, making it easier for customers to find and access their products online. 

HOKA

HOKA, originally known as Hoka One One, is a sportswear company specialising in running shoes. Founded in 2009 by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, former Salomon employees, they aimed to create a shoe that would enhance downhill running speeds. They developed a model featuring an oversized outsole with more cushioning than typical running shoes available at the time. The name Hoka is derived from the Māori phrase meaning “to fly”.

Our mission is to empower all athletes to feel like they can fly.

HOKA

The company sponsors a wide array of professional runners; initially, its athletes were primarily trail-ultra runners, but the roster has since expanded to include competitors in track and field, triathlon, and road running.

Although the shoe was an immediate success, many runners initially struggled with the pronunciation of the brand name. In 2021, Hoka responded to this confusion by dropping the “One One” from its name, simplifying it to just Hoka—a name many consumers already used. The brand also invested in the Exact Brand Match domain name – Hoka.com, which had previously been owned by Hoka Electronics (UK).

CVCV domain names are increasingly popular among companies seeking to establish a strong brand identity. These short, easy-to-pronounce, and memorable domain names have a positive, bounce sound that resonates well across different languages and cultures. Four brands on our list, Nike, Puma, Fila, and Hoka, are leveraging these powerful domain names to enhance their market appeal.

On

On, also known as On Running, was founded in 2010 by Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann, and Caspar Coppetti in Zurich, Switzerland. Olivier Bernhard, a former professional athlete and Ironman champion, teamed up with his friends David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti to revolutionise the running shoe industry. Driven by the desire to create the perfect running shoe, they combined their expertise in sports and business to launch On.

The trio started their journey with a simple yet ambitious idea: to create a running shoe that would provide a completely new running sensation. They wanted to develop shoes that could deliver both soft landings and explosive take-offs, mimicking the feeling of running on clouds. This vision led to the development of their unique CloudTec® technology. 

Swiss engineered to deliver comfort, support and a more efficient run, CloudTec® is a completely unique cushioning system. It absorbs impact, reduces strain and adapts to your running style to create a sensation loved by runners around the world. We call it running on clouds.

On

The first shoe released by On was the Cloudracer, favoured by Swiss professional triathlete Nicola Spirig. The success of the Cloudsurfer laid the foundation for On’s rapid growth. The company’s commitment to continuous innovation led to the development of several other models, each designed to cater to different running styles and preferences.

At On, we believe incredible things happen when humans move. Being in motion taps into the place in the subconscious where inspiration lies. It’s called flow state: A mindset where action and awareness blur together, leaving us fully immersed in the moment. A hack for the mind, helping us to dream bigger and better.

On

The brand name “On” reflects the idea of making people feel like they are “running on clouds.” The logo features the letters “o” and “n” , with a slight uptick on the “o” resembling an old light switch. This design symbolises the goal of making runners feel “switched on.”

The company started their business journey on the domain On-running.com and later upgraded to On.com. Many brands begin with compromise domain names and invest in their EBM at a later stage of development. Two-letter .com domains are highly prized in the digital branding world due to their scarcity and distinctiveness, with only 676 possible combinations in existence. Obtaining a short and memorable .com domain name is an essential step in the process of building a worldwide brand.

Highlights

It’s no surprise that all the sports brands on our list use the .com extension. For decades, .com has been the most dominant domain on the internet, and it remains the most memorable and widely recognised by the general public.

67 out of the 70 brands have invested in Exact Brand Match (EBM) domains, understanding their key role in establishing a strong online presence. An EBM domain is essential for a business to be easily found online, as it matches what customers commonly search for when trying to connect with a brand.

None of the brands chose to include dashes in their domain names, which helps prevent confusion and ensures their website addresses are straightforward and memorable.

While we make every effort to ensure the data on our site is accurate, complete, and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee its reliability. Our data is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal, financial, or other advice. We strongly recommend that you independently verify any information before relying on it.

A premium domain name is a powerful tool for businesses looking to establish a strong and professional online presence. If you’re ready to upgrade your brand and boost your online presence, contact us for more information on our premium domain name options and how they can help your business succeed.

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