Shoe Dog

As a young, adventurous business school graduate looking for a challenge, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and started a company with a clear mission: import high-quality but inexpensive running shoes from Japan. That first year, 1963, Knight sold running shoes out of the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant, generating $8000 in sales. Today, Nike's annual sales are over $30 billion. In our age of startups, Knight's company, Nike, has established itself as the measure of all things, and its "swoosh" has long been more than just a logo. It's a symbol of sleekness and greatness, one of the few icons instantly recognizable in every corner of our globe. But Knight himself, the man behind the Swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now he's finally telling his story.