Shoe Dog summary

It was 1962 and Phil Knight was fresh out of Stanford Business School. He had an idea for a business, but none of his professors, classmates or even his father thought much of it. 

But that didn’t stop Knight from following his vision. So he traveled across the Pacific to pitch his bold proposition to a room full of Japanese businessmen. Knight wanted to import Japanese running shoes to America. And he had his eyes on the Tiger brand that was manufactured by the Japanese company Onitsuka. 

Many people have someone in their lives who inspires them, and whose respect they seek. For Phil Knight, this person was his former running coach, Bill Bowerman. 

Bowerman’s approval gave Knight the confidence he needed to carry on with his dreams. Bowerman, in turn, was a genuine “shoe dog.” A “shoe dog” is an industry term for someone who is shoe-obsessed. A “shoe dog” understands just how meaningful a shoe can be – a shoe can even give you confidence. 

As Blue Ribbon grew, Knight put together a team of trustworthy people who, in turn, trusted him. 

But Blue Ribbon workers weren’t your run-of-the-mill corporate types. They were instead a bunch of brilliant misfits who formed a great team. 

Successful entrepreneurs know that fame and fortune are always dogged by obstacles and pitfalls. For Phil Knight, it was two significant lawsuits.

The key message here is: Lawsuits brought by Onitsuka and the government threatened Nike, but the company persevered. 

Clearly, Knight faced some obstacles on his rise to the top. It took a lot of hard work to keep going. So how did Nike grow to become the company it is today?

Although he wasn't always sure what winning meant to him, Knight knew that he didn’t want to lose. 

Since the beginning, Nike has approached setbacks with the same integrity and energy that Knight always demanded of each and every employee. It’s this attitude that has kept customers loyal through thick and thin.

The key message here is: through improving factory working conditions and treating sponsored athletes well, Nike strives to stay true to its values.