Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – book review

I had no particular interest in Nike before reading this book and had no idea who Paul Knight was, but I was intrigued to read it because I kept seeing so many people recommend it and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I liked this book even more than I thought I would. It was a real page turner and I devoured it in a few days.

This is a story of how a business became a success, against all the odds and chronicles Nike's messy beginnings from 1962 to 1980, when Nike went public. This book almost felt like a novel at times as there was so much drama - a court case, backstabbing, battles with the government, the constant threat of going under, business politics, friendship, family…this book had it all. I liked the way this book was structured chronologically, with one chapter representing a year, however, I do wish the book had continued past 1980 as there was still a lot more story to tell, which he briefly alludes to in the conclusion.

What I liked most about this book was the journey Phil went through. The company almost failed so many times, and it was really inspiring to read about Phil’s dedication and resilience.

I would recommend Shoe Dog to pretty much anyone! You might find it interesting if you are an entrepreneur or like business books, or like Nike, or like memoirs or even if you’re a person who doesn’t like any of those things, as it’s so well written and an entertaining read. Anyone else read this? Would love to know your thoughts!

If you want to know more, check out my full video review with my 3 key takeaways and favourite quote - https://youtu.be/FmBEZtjxxns