NextierBy Abdulwahab Yusuf
REVIEW: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. Simon and Schuster (April 2016). Length: 386 pages
Shoe Dog is a memoir about Phil Knight, Nike’s creator, one of the world’s biggest brands. While studying at Stanford Business School, Phil Knight’s thesis was on the likelihood of importing running shoes from Japan and selling them in the U.S. market. His thesis revolved around the possibility of Japanese shoes dominating the U.S Market due to Japanese cameras’ dominance in the U.S. at that time.
Phil knight laid out his weaknesses, failings and how he thought he was not a great dad and a good husband. Nike started as an import company, importing running trainers from Japan and was initially called Blue Ribbon Sports. Phil and his accomplices considered several other names like Dimension Six before they came up with Nike. The iconic Nike logo was designed by an unknown graphic designer, a student at the time, who was paid $35 for it.
The author openly talked about being afraid of things, yet persevering towards achieving his goals. He also made it abundantly clear that people do not always need a crystal-clear vision for what they are trying to accomplish; instead, what is needed is an obsessive willingness to figure things out. Phil Knight had no idea what he was doing initially and further highlighted his constant struggle to fund growth. He discussed how putting people in the right jobs made all the difference for the Nike brand and taught how he balanced being a hero at work with being a family man at home.
One of the significant determinants about Knight’s success with athletes was that he could establish a bond with them through his passion for sports. This distinctive quality made him stand out from other brand owners. An instance of this was when the former professional tennis player, Andre Agassi won the U.S Open, then immediately went to Knight’s stand after his final shot and yelled, “We did it, Phil”. Phil Knight has built similar connections with other top athletes like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and many other sports legends who have played a critical role in Nike’s success.
This book seeks to inspire entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders to seek a calling, follow their dreams, and never give up regardless of the bottlenecks they may face in the course of their journey. In a world where the media portrays entrepreneurship as an uncomplicated process, Knight describes his entrepreneurship journey in detail, providing a snapshot of the challenges and hurdles most business owners face.
