Finish Line Logo PNG
The Finish Line logo is a visual reflection of a line of clothing and footwear made in the same vein. Its main difference is its premium quality and adherence to modern fashion. The emblem shows style, neatness, and convenience.
Finish Line began in 1976 in Indianapolis, Indiana, when longtime friends David Klapper and Alan Cohen started a sports footwear business with silent partner John Domont. Running and fitness were moving into the American mainstream, and sneakers were becoming a fashion item. Their first store opened as a franchise of The Athlete’s Foot at Monument Circle.
By the early 1980s, the partners wanted more control over product selection, store layout, and merchandising. In 1981, Cohen left law to work on the business full-time, and the partners formed The Finish Line. The first store under the new name opened on July 2, 1982, in Speedway, Indiana. When the franchise deal ended in 1986, all former The Athlete’s Foot stores were renamed Finish Line.
The chain expanded through the 1990s. Its 100th store opened in 1991, annual sales passed $100 million, and in 1992, Finish Line went public on NASDAQ under the ticker FINL. By 1995, it had 200 stores and a larger distribution center in Indianapolis, putting it in direct competition with Foot Locker. After the retail slowdown of 1997 and 1998, the company entered e-commerce, making its first online sale in 1999.
A 2002 dispute between Nike and Foot Locker helped Finish Line gain access to more high-demand Nike models, strengthening its position as the second-largest specialized athletic footwear retailer in the U.S. In 2013, it partnered with Macy’s and, by 2018, had about 375 shop-in-shop locations and 555 of its own stores. JD Sports bought Finish Line in 2018 for about $558 million and, in 2024, began phasing out the Finish Line name in favor of the JD Sports brand.
Meaning and History
The actual history of Finish Line began in 1981 when David Klapper and Alan Cohen registered the brand under that name. Before that, they owned the Athlete’s Foot franchise, a sneaker manufacturer. They opened their first shoe store in 1976, followed by several more locations in different cities. When the friends started Finish Line (as a subsidiary of Athlete’s Foot), they already had ten outlets. The franchise expired in 1986, so all stores were renamed. This laid the foundation for the modern retailer, which in 2002 became the second-highest-grossing sporting goods retailer in the United States.
The company’s success is due to its wide range and the rapid expansion of the trading network. Visual identification also plays an equally important role, as the brand’s uniqueness depends on it. And even though the famous runner logo has been replaced with a simple wordmark, the Finish Line symbol remains recognizable thanks to the typeface and the black-and-blue palette.
What is Finish Line?
Finish Line is a sportswear retailer that has recently become part of JD Sports Fashion’s British organization. Their merger was completed in 2018. Before that, the chain of stores was a public company; that is, its shares were held by market participants. Now she owns more than 600 outlets in the United States.
1976 – 2016
The first Finish Line logo did not appear until 1981 because before 1981, this company did not exist: David Klapper and Alan Cohen only had Athlete’s Foot franchise stores. When two comrades registered their trademark, they needed an easily identifiable sign to promote the brand in the sporting goods market. This is how the black inscription “Finish Line” was created, with a blue figure of a running man separating it. The silhouette consisted of a circle and two connected lines that were shaped like a Nike Swoosh. The little man did not just run but crossed an imaginary finish line: judging by his position, he managed to step over it with one foot.
The name of the company was written in bold italic sans-serif. The first letters in words were uppercase, and the rest were lowercase. Above the “i” were dots in the form of parallelograms. The “s” was the most unusual: it looked like a short zigzag. The “F” looked exactly like an inverted “L” with an extra horizontal stroke.
2016 – today
In 2016, two significant events took place in the history of the Finish Line at once. First, Sam Sato became the company’s chief executive officer. Secondly, the designers developed a new logo for the chain of stores, from which the silhouette of the runner disappeared. As a result of the changes made, the inscription became two-colored: only the first word remained black, and the second is now completely blue. All letters are converted to uppercase accordingly; the characteristic quadrangular dots above the “i” have disappeared. But the zigzag shape of the “S” was preserved.
Font and Colors
The 2016 redesign sparked widespread outrage among Finish Line customers, who are used to seeing the silhouette of a running man in its logo. And no wonder, because this character embodied all the retailer’s values: love for sports, passion, and desire to win. And he clearly illustrated the brand name. After the figurine’s disappearance, one inscription remained without additional elements. But it is worth recognizing that it does an excellent job of its main task: identifying the company.
The bold sans-serif used in the Finish Line logo is associated with confidence, strength, and resilience. A slight tilt to the right creates a sense of movement. All letters are capital; many have rounded corners, including “F,” “N,” “S,” and “L.” At the same time, the “S” is shaped like an inverted “Z.”
The black-and-blue color scheme was used initially, but the shades became slightly lighter after a 2016 redesign. In the current version, black is closer to graphite (#272b2b), and blue is closer to azure (#0090dc).