Shoe Dog

Picture a recent graduate with a burning desire to make a mark in the world. Instead of settling for a predictable path, he imagines a new kind of athletic shoe to rival the well-established giants. Suddenly, a chance meeting in Japan, a single handshake, and a stubborn vision spark a brand-new venture.

This opening sets the stage: from a Portland basement to last-minute bank loans, from invention to reinvention, the journey brims with uncertainty. Yet at every turn, the hunger to keep pushing is what keeps this underdog enterprise going strong.

In these early pages, we see why it’s vital to stay laser-focused. The dream is large, the obstacles are even larger, but a hint of triumph is always hovering in the distance, urging us onward.

After grasping a fervent idea in business school, the fledgling entrepreneur decides to see the world. He arrives in Japan, inspired by how Japanese camera makers once toppled German dominance. Could Japanese shoe makers do the same to leading sneaker brands?

Despite physical distance and cultural barriers, he sees a chance for collaboration with a local manufacturer. A meeting brimming with eagerness seals a small import deal. The adrenaline from forging a cross-Pacific agreement soon evolves into an official handshake—one that forever alters the entrepreneur’s path.

Returning home, he encounters doubts: from his father, who questions his fixation on ‘running shoes,’ to a bank that frowns upon unstable accounts. Still, momentum builds. A first shipment arrives, promising hope—if only the bank will let him pay for it.