How Portland Oregon Became The Athletic Shoe Capital

It’s easy to see how Portland‘s proximity to steep mountain ranges, lakes and rivers, the ocean, and pristine desert helped to fuel the local outdoor sports culture. But what really catapulted this Pacific Northwest gem into the performance shoe spotlight is the rising stars of talented creators, inventors, and sportswear designers that are so prevalent in Oregon – a perfectly curated culture that has drawn some of America’s biggest shoe manufacturers.

Portland may be known for its quirky residents, but it’s also distinguished itself as a creatively thriving center of talented, ingenious individuals. And with the rise in popularity of the sports sector, the number of shoe designers has skyrocketed – many coming straight out of local universities in the region. The University of Oregon‘s Portland extension offers a Sports Product Management program, where students learn how to create sports apparel, footwear, and equipment from start to finish. Pensole Footwear Design Academy – co-founded by former Air Jordan designer D’Wayne Edwards – teaches everything in the footwear design process from inspiration and design to prototyping, business, marketing, and branding. From architecture to design, talent in the city has steadily risen over the years, and shoe companies are taking notice.

The footwear design community in Portland has been growing immensely since the 1990s. German-based Adidas, the third largest shoe designer in the market, has been in Portland since 1993, recently moving most of its design, global, and creative operations and development to the city; even the head of design relocated from Germany to Portland in 2014. Nike, the largest manufacturer of athletic shoes, is located just outside of the city on a property spanning hundreds of acres – the building houses the design center, and there are plans to expand by 3.2 million square feet (297,289 square meters) this year. Baltimore-based Under Armour – the nation’s number two athletic manufacturer – opened a Portland design office in 2013, which includes most of its footwear division. And Columbia Sportswear, another big sport shoe manufacturer, launched from hats into footwear in 1993 right here in Portland.

But Portland isn’t just filled with talent. Its thriving sports culture has created a following of supporters filled with runners, cyclists, and nature enthusiasts, creating ample opportunities for companies to test technologies across varied terrain, discover new trends, and receive feedback. Plus, the city’s proximity to Asia has allowed for easy sourcing and manufacturing, a huge attraction for brands. These things combined make Portland the ultimate city for performance shoe success.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.