What begins as a bold idea during a trip around the world grows into one of the most iconic sports brands in history. In this candid memoir, Phil Knight recounts the uncertain early days of building Nike—from selling running shoes out of his car to navigating fierce competition and financial risk. Shoe Dog offers an honest look at entrepreneurship, revealing the perseverance, vision, and teamwork behind transforming a small startup into a global powerhouse.
Date: 2016 (United States)
Length: ~386 pages (varies by edition)
Cultural impact: ~5.000.000 copies (estimates)
Genre: Biography & Memoir, Business & Economics
"Shoe Dog, Phil Knight’s memoir about creating Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. [...] Phil Knight opens up in a way few CEOs do. [...] It's an amazing tale" — Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist
"The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller" — Warren Buffet, legendary investor
"The best memoir I recall ever reading. As a business biography, it ranks with such recent works as Neal Gabler's Disney and Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs" — Rich Karlgaard, longtime Forbes editor and publisher
"An extraordinary memoir... one of the best stories of entrepreneurship I have ever read" — Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and author
"The ultimate entrepreneur's guide to the top of the mountain. I could not put it down" — Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Famer and longtime Nike endorser
1 review
Another set of memories from a legendary CEO behind an iconic brand -truly priceless. Shoe Dog focuses on Phil Knight’s early days as a runner and the step-by-step journey of building Nike.
An essential read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship.
Reading: 9 Art: 4 Wisdom: 7 Author: 8 Total: 8 Read count: 1 / May 1, 2026
Reading: 9
Art: 4
Wisdom: 7
Author: 8
Total: 8
Read count: 1 / May 1, 2026*As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
