“Let everyone else call your idea crazy … just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”
Phil Knight*, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc.
In the 1960s, Phil Knight, a shy, rail-thin 24-year-old from Oregon, had what he called a “crazy idea”, which was to introduce and sell Japanese shoes to the American market.
Young and determined to pursue his idea, he went on to co-found Blue Ribbon Sports, which would become Nike, starting out selling running shoes made by Onitsuka Co., which is now Asics. Nothing was ever easy, with constant challenges ahead. But he would not give up.
As a result, the company would grow from its humble beginnings into what is now one of the most well-known and recognisable brands worth billions of US dollars today. And the 2016 book “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” chronicles the story of how Nike, a brand that is impossible not to know anything about, started out and became what it is today.
Why it’s worth a read
Some might see this book recommendation issue of The Young Post and wonder why I chose a business-related book, but I think it is much more than that.
Shoe Dog is a story of a man who was determined to make something come true, of the persistence and pursuit of passion despite a multitude of hurdles that came along the way. More importantly, it details a good example of how everybody has to start somewhere in order to get anywhere.
This is a book that should not simply be dismissed as just another memoir or a business book, although, of course, it does feature those elements, which might turn someone away from reading it. But looking beyond that, it tells a good story, one about success, belief and overcoming challenges.
At just under 400 pages, it provides a pretty riveting read. It is a page-turner from beginning to end and, in my opinion, is a book that is hard to put down once you start reading. Although we already know how the story ends given how popular the brand is today, it is still gripping enough to make you ask: what’s going to happen next?
Moreover, with moments of finding motivation, love, and even betrayal, there is something to be enjoyed within the book. And if you are curious about things such as how the famous logo and name of the brand came about, the people, their innovations and inventions behind certain shoes, as well as the struggles that had to be overcome before Nike, which is actually the Greek goddess of victory, became the powerhouse that it is today, then there’s plenty to love and learn about in Shoe Dog.
Should you pick it up?
I believe that this is a book that anybody, no matter if they are familiar with the brand or not, should try to read, at least once. It is more than just a book for those with an interest in business and entrepreneurship and the brand. It is also for book lovers who want a good story and I think more importantly, people looking for courage and motivation.
If you find yourself getting knocked down by challenges constantly piling up, or have a dream that you believe in and are thinking of pursuing, then this is for you. Shoe Dog tells a great tale and example of what the outcome of hard work could be if you just try. In other words, just do it.
*Phil Knight resigned as Nike Inc.’s CEO in 2004 and later stepped down from his chairman position in 2015. He is now 86 years old.
A man walks past a Nike store on Rua do Campo.
Until I can hunt down a hard cover version, this photo shows my e-version of Shoe Dog. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
Photo courtesy by Unsplash
