Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

I was a little dubious when I saw so many 5 star reviews for this book here, but after reading this I have to say I wholeheartedly agree. This memoir by Phil Knight explores the travel adventures he went on after finishing college and the world view it gave him. It then looks at how he set up the business that eventually became Nike and how he battled adversity and his competitors to become one of the most respected global sports brands. Each chapter follows a year in the life of the founder and his business from the early 60's up until 1980. At the end it mentions briefly where the company is at at the time of writing to conclude things in a satisfying way, although I'd happily read a second part that continues on from where this book leaves off. His tenacity shines through on every page and I also developed a greater appreciation of Nike and their ethos as a business. After the Sweatshop scandal in the 90's I was a little hesitant about buying their products, but he touches upon this aspect of the business and the subsequent deeper understanding of what drives this company has made me see them in a new light. The writing is clear and engaging and he manages to tell a story in such a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages until the end and entertains whilst also imparting some business knowledge at the same time. This is invaluable for those starting a business and a damn good read for those of us who just enjoy a good memoir/autobiography. Highly recommended.

I had heard of Phil Knight, but I didn’t know about Phil Knight. Anyone who knows me well will tell you I have an unexplainable attachment to the Adidas brand. In fact, I had to double check in disbelief but I truly don’t own anything from the Nike range in my wardrobe. That is why reading this book initially felt like a disloyalty in a major way. I had bought myself this copy a while back but I kept putting it further down my reading list, until I eventually succumbed to all the good reviews I read about it. Now I know a book is awesome when I feel the need to take it with me to the toilet seat. This particular one debuted as early as the first chapter. I was engrossed. Reading books by self-made milli or billionaires can sometimes be daunting. Sometimes they get so caught up in the me, me, me moments that it becomes difficult to read through the pages without rolling your eyes and silently thinking to yourself, ‘get over yourself already’. Not this one though. I could relate to this man. Right from the start, I appreciated how human Phil Knight was. A sell for me is always a book where the author allows themselves to be vulnerable. Phil Knight just laid it all out, from 1962 to 1980, he tells the story of not only the making of the brand, but the making of the man too. He tells you how he succumbed to using the Nike name (suggested by one of his eccentric employees, Jeff Johnson) because they had run out of time and a name had to go on the shoe. If it were up to him that brand would today be knows as Dimension Six. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Nike is the Greek goddess of victory so in a way the name embodied everything that Phil Knight was striving for. In 1972, he begrudgingly accepted the name and told himself it would grow on him. Until this point Phil Knight owned a company known as Blue Ribbon which acted as a distributor for Japanese based Onitsuka Tiger Company (today known as Asics). He had however had a fallout with Mr. Onitsuka and there was an urgent need to rebrand. Another thing that makes you warm up to Phil Knight in his book is how he seemed mostly in favor of the underdog. His employees were not the typical (or even athletic) type of people you would pick for the kind of dream he had, but they had one thing in common, each one of them was a Shoe Dog. Phil Knight openly admits to how in his quest to build an empire, he wasn’t the best of dads. He talks about his strained relationship with his son Matt who died while scuba diving in May 2004 and that part just moved me to tears. He talks about fall outs with close friends and partners, espionage, the backlash from competitors, near bankruptcy, he even admits to writing off Magic Johnson and calling him the player with no position that would never make it in the NBA. He talks about the kind or relationship he has with Tiger and why to this day he will hear no ill word spoken of him. He even briefly talks about what became known as the sweatshop controversy. This could easily have been a fairytale but it is an honest, entertaining memoir that every book lover must read. My only question perhaps is why he makes no mention of his daughter anywhere in his memoir and even the internet seems to have very little detail about her. At this point I figure I am a little sold to the idea of owning my first pair of Nike shoes. Cortez perhaps?🤔🤔🤔

Well written and entertaining story about Nike from the beginning of Blue Ribbon until the IPO. 3 caveats - or reasons for sequels ?-: it would have been 1) more relevant to new generations & even more interesting if the book had also covered the more recent history of the company; 2) more instructing for business readers if the author had gone beyond the chronological description / anecdotes / "neo-Zen" cliches to reflect a bit more on the factors leading to Nike's success; 3) even better if the last chapter did not feel like too an artificial add on (story with Gates & Buffett for example) to an otherwise fascinating corporate and human adventure .

Just finished listening to the audiobook. I also have the e-book which I red in parts. The book is very well written and read almost like a novel it's not just about business but also a fascinating story from the very beginning. This type of biography which is written by the founder himself is my favourite because you get to know the person as opposed to biographies written by somebody else who has researched the business person. As somebody who has recently started his business, finishing listening to this book left me quite inspired and there are many parts I would want to re-read to re-listen. That last final chapters I couldn't put it down. For many years I had mixed feeling about the brand itself. I always thought was too expensive and too much overhyped with advertisement until a few years ago I bought their more minimalistic Nike flex and since then it has been my favourite shoe of all time. Phil knight himself is quite fascinating character and at times feel such an ordinary shy guy! that gives me some comfort, tying to make it in business as an introvert!

A great book. Very inspiring, and a good insight into the mind of a very successful entrepreneur! Very good read.

Excellent book! Even if your aren’t into streetwear / sportswear it’s an excellent read about how Nike came about.

This book is a perfectly cohesive narrative telling the story of the origins, rise, perils, and ultimate success of Nike. The author portrays himself as extremely human and uncertain, and as flawed as Amy other character in the book. And yet his and his colleagues’ exceptional mature is shown repeatedly in their actions during harrowing misadventures and competitive disruptions.

This is a very well written memoir. It is inspiring and isightful. It was a page-turner, and I found it hard to put it down!

This book is definitely a must read for all entrepreneurs. Very well written, easy to read, it describes the Nike empire birth and the personality of Phil Knight. This guy deserves Respect. For some people, I heard he was/is the most hated CEO in US because of his raise, but I invite you all to read and know what the guy had been through, and how well he manage it. What I also like, this book has no boring part, goes straight to the point, no blabla to make extra pages such as many authors is this field. 5 stars for me !

Wonderful biography by the author. Worth reading by anyone interested in entrepreneurship or even as a enjoyable read.

Me encantó este libro, Phil Knight es un grán narrador, cada uno de los capítulos te envuelve en la historia de Nike que es en paralelo su historia personal, está tremendamente bien escrito y en verdad es de los pocos libros que he leído este año que disfruté tanto que no quería que terminara, en más de una noche me desvelé de lo picado que estaba en la historia. Lo he reomendado por todos lados a mis conocidos, algo que me llamó la atención es que leer la historia desde la óptica de P.K. me cambió mucho mi prespectiva de Nike y ahora veo con otros ojos la marca, es un perfecto ejemplo de persistencia, emprendedurismo, esfuerzo e ingenio. Recomiendo mucho este libro para personas de negocios, en particular marketeros así como emprendedores que quieran tener una fuente de inspiración sobre cómo es posible crear una empresa de cero hasta hacerla una de las más grandes referencias mundiales en su industria.