Nike Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

In this candid and riveting memoir for the first time ever Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the companyrsquos early days as an intrepid startup and its evolution into one of the worldrsquos most iconic gamechanging and profitable brandsYoung searching fresh out of business school Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission import highquality lowcost running shoes from Japan Selling the shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year 1963 Today Nikersquos annual sales top 30 billion In this age of startups Knightrsquos Nike is the gold standard and its swoosh is more than a logo A symbol of grace and greatness itrsquos one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the worldBut Knight the man behind the swoosh has always been a mystery Now in a memoir thatrsquos surprising humble unfiltered funny and beautifully crafted he tells his story at last It all begins with a classic crossroads moment Twentyfour years old backpacking through Asia and Europe and Africa wrestling with lifersquos Great Questions Knight decides the unconventional path is the only one for him Rather than work for a big corporation he will create something all his own something new dynamic different Knight details the many terrifying risks he encountered along the way the crushing setbacks the ruthless competitors the countless doubters and haters and hostile bankersmdashas well as his many thrilling triumphs and narrow escapes Above all he recalls the foundational relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike with his former track coach the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman and with his first employees a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swooshcrazed brothersTogether harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the redemptive transformative power of sports they created a brand and a culture that changed everything