The History Of Nike Soccer Balls

Nike soccer balls, which come in nearly four dozen models, range in price as of January 2011 from $10 for a basic practice ball to the high-end, hand-stitched Total90 at $150. The history of Nike soccer balls, made along with soccer balls under other brand names by workers in Pakistan, dealt a blow to Nike's image of corporate responsibility. "Our worst experience and biggest mistake was in Pakistan, where we blew it," admitted Philip H. Knight, Nike chairman and CEO, in a 2001 report.

Battle Vs. Adidas

For generations, Nike was not a factor in soccer equipment or footwear. Adidas, based in Germany, enjoyed dominance in the soccer footwear business dating from the 1950s, as teams wearing its shoes with three white stripes won World Cup titles. From 1970 in Mexico through 2010 in South Africa, Adidas provided FIFA with its official World Cup balls. Nike, based near Beaverton, Oregon, began with a foundation in running and basketball shoes. In 1994, Nike kicked off its move into soccer shoes by signing American women's great Mia Hamm to a contract. In the mid-1990s, Nike began making sports equipment, including soccer balls, as well as soccer footwear.

Construction

Nike was faced with a need for workers who could hand-stitch panels in the shape of pentagons or hexagons to make its soccer balls. Almost every soccer ball manufactured from the mid-1990s onward is made of synthetic leather, FIFA.com notes. Workers assemble the ball panels, which entail 1,400 to 2,000 stitches that require four hours of work, sewing the ball from the inside out. Most workers involved in the industry work in the industrial city of Siaklot in the north of Pakistan.

Pakistan Vendors

In 1995, Nike began to order soccer balls from vendors in Siaklot. By the fall, the company learned that production was done through village contractors, sometimes by children as young as 6 years old. Investigative reporter Sydney Schanberg wrote in a LIFE magazine cover article in June 1996 that the children received as little as 60 cents a day to make two balls.

Reform

Nike responded to adverse publicity involving child workers and safety questions by deciding to deal exclusively with a vendor called Saga Sports, which agreed to build stitching centers near villages with no hires younger than age 18, free lunches and free medical clinic. In November 2006, Nike ceased placing orders with Saga Sports based on continued unauthorized outsourcing of ball production to home workers, citing the potential for underage workers and its inability to verify safe conditions. In May 2007, Nike announced the company would resume production of its soccer balls in Pakistan with Silver Star Group, a vendor committed to requiring all workers to be registered as full-time employees paid hourly wages and eligible for benefits. The agreement prohibited the use of piecework rates per ball.