SPORTSTYLE has released it's annual list of the "Top 100" most influential and powerful men and women in the sporting goods industry. The following is the Top 50 by name, company and title, and ranking -- if any -- on SportStyle's '96 "Top 100" list (SPORTSTYLE, 11/97 issue).
| NO. | NAME | COMPANY/TITLE | '96 RANK |
| 1) | Phil Knight | Nike/Chair & CEO | 1 |
| 2) | Jack Smith | The Sports Authority/Chair/CEO | 2 |
| 3) | Robert Louis-Dreyfus | adidas AG/Chair | 7 |
| 4) | Tom Clarke | Nike/President & COO | 3 |
| 5) | Paul Fireman | Reebok/Chair & CEO | 6 |
| 6) | Bill Devries | Woolworth Footwear Div./CEO | 4 |
| 7) | Mark Parker | Nike/VP/Research & Develop. | 5 |
| 8) | Ed Stack | Dick's Sporting Goods/CEO | 39 |
| 9) | Ralph Parks | FootAction/President & CEO | 8 |
| 10) | George Dickerman | Spalding Sports/President | 9 |
| 11) | Robert Meers | Reebok/President | 19 |
| 12) | Steve Carter | JCPenney/Merch Manager | 18 |
| 13) | Doug Morton | Gart Sports/Chair & CEO | — |
| 14) | Wally Smith | REI/President & CEO | 20 |
| 15) | Alan Cohen | The Finish Line/CEO | 15 |
| 16) | Stephen Gomez | Nike/VP/Apparel | 16 |
| 17) | Gordon Thompson | Nike/VP/Design & Develop. | 17 |
| 18) | John Adams | Russell Corp./Chair & CEO | 10 |
| 19) | Jim Baugh | Wilson Sports/President | 11 |
| 20) | Richard Rodstein | K2/President & CEO | 37 |
| 21) | Doug Kelly | Pro Player/President & COO | 34 |
| 22) | Harold Ruttenberg | Just For Feet/President & CEO | 45 |
| 23) | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls/"Hoop God" | 23 |
| 24) | Daniel Mac Farlan | VF Corp./Chair & CEO | — |
| 25) | Enrico Frachey | Fila SPA/Chair | 12 |
| 26) | Michael Flatow | Champion Products/President | — |
| 27) | Jim Dawson | Brunswick Outdoor/President | — |
| 28) | Chuck Davies | Tultex/President & CEO | 22 |
| 29) | Jerry Levin | Coleman Company/Chair & CEO | — |
| 30) | Aaron Feuerstein | Malden Mills/President & CEO | 26 |
| 31) | David Beckerman | Starter Corp./Chair & CEO | 24 |
| 32) | Tim Boyle | Columbia Sports/President | 30 |
| 33) | Jim Davis | New Balance/Chair & CEO | 46 |
| 34) | Sara Levinson | NFLP/President | 25 |
| 35) | Peter Moore | adidas America/Creative Dir | 36 |
| 36) | Angel Martinez | Rockport/President & CEO | 28 |
| 37) | Charlie Kanan | Play It Again Sports/President | 40 |
| 38) | Wally Uihlein | Titleist-Foot Joy/Chair & CEO | 41 |
| 39) | Rick Welts | NBA CMO/NBAP President | 27 |
| 40) | Bob Timinski | The Sports Authority/Senior VP | 89 |
| 41) | Tiger Woods | Pro Golfer | — |
| 42) | Jeffrey Swartz | Timberland/COO | 48 |
| 43) | Jay Friedman | Foot Locker USA/President | — |
| 44) | Bruce Parker | Callaway Golf/President & CMO | — |
| 45) | Joe Wood | The Finish Line/Senior VP | — |
| 46) | Stephen Rubin | Pentland Group/Chair | 35 |
| 47) | Bill Simon | The North Face/President | 53 |
| 48) | John Riddle | SGMA/President | 44 |
| 49) | Rick Dudley | NHL Enterprises/President | 29 |
| 50) | Stephen Bebis | JumboSports/President & CEO | 65 |
