Shoe Dog
"In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands. In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his lime green Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed $8,000 his first year. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of startups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all startups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognizable symbols in the world today. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, in a memoir that is candid, humble, gutsy, and wry, he tells his story, beginning with his crossroads moment. At 24, after backpacking around the world, he decided to take the unconventional path, to start his own business--a business that would be dynamic, different. Knight details the many risks and dau
Where Shoe Dog keeps showing up
Three of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with Shoe Dog
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Shoe Dog
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Nike founder Phil Knight tells the story of borrowing fifty dollars from his father in 1962, flying to Japan, and selling Onitsuka Tiger sneakers out of his car, through the early years of building Nike.
Yes. Shoe Dog is Phil Knight's 2016 memoir about founding Nike, focused on the company's first decade. It is widely cited as one of the best business memoirs of recent years.
Shoe Dog is more memoir than playbook. The lessons emerge from the founding story rather than explicit frameworks. It is widely recommended for entrepreneurs more for inspiration than tactical guidance.
Shoe Dog was written by Phil Knight, published in 2016 by Scribner.
Shoe Dog is 386 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Shoe Dog takes most readers 6 to 8 hours to finish.
Shoe Dog is a standalone novel by Phil Knight, not part of a series.
Shoe Dog is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
