Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a memoir discussing the rise of the Nike brand as well as an in-depth look of Phil Knight’s personal life behind the scenes of one of the biggest brands in the world. The book starts at the beginning of his journey which included many failures, successes and shortcomings which made him the man he is today. What interested me the most was Knight’s vulnerability while talking about his marriage and fatherhood. He ignores the stigma around family relations and confidently admits how the company took over his life, causing him to lose sight of a massive part of his life. This book somewhat reminded me of a mature version of a book I read in the 7th grade called, The Toothpaste Millionaire. Obviously this book goes into more financial detail and explains more to how the company rose to billionaire status. I was intrigued by Knight referring to himself as an introvert, not fitting the bill of a major corporation CEO. A shortcoming of the book was the build up from Blue Ribbon Sports, the founding company to Nike, then an abrupt finish. I would have loved to read about the Air Jordan or how the signature shoe got integrated into the concepts of the company.
The YouTube channel, “Warikoo Plus”, brought up an important quote which helped me further my understanding of the book, it read, “If you want to know how you truly feel about someone, say goodbye.” This quote transcended the shoe world and brought the book back down to earth and made it relatable to the average reader. Although we won’t be traveling back and forth to Japan in hopes to start a successful shoe company, we will be stuck in situations between people in our life that we love or care for deeply. These insights keep the pages turning and help to propel this book into a deeply relatable read. Many moments like this occur and persistence is a key theme which relates to the reader as well. As you read you start to question whether this concept was essential to the business at the time or if it was shoved down the throats of everyone in the industry thanks to Mr. Knight.
This book took a never seen before glance into the behind the scenes of a company which hits every small corner of the world. The upcoming is not one you’d expect and Mr.Knight shows how even with a game-changing idea, the big breaks don’t just show at the doorstep, you must chase them and be prepared to fail in hopes of reaching the top.
To rank this book, I would give it 4.5/5 swooshes, making it one of my favorite books to ever read. As I mature I enjoy looking back at things which I once accepted as culturally normal and looking to how it got to be that way. This is a perfect example of that and I have been left with a new appreciation for the Nike Co.
