Shoe Dog: 15. 1975 Summary & Analysis

Although Knight does not want to slow Blue Ribbon’s growth, he knows he also needs to ensure his creditors at Nissho will continue to fund him. However, he does not do a good job of making his business look reliable. He rarely has any cash and often overdraws from his account. By the time spring arrives, Knight finds that he does not have enough money to pay Nissho what he owes them. In fact, he is $75,000 short.

In order to pay Nissho, Knight takes all of the money from the accounts of his retail stores, a risky move that he knows could come back to bite him. Because of Knight’s decision, several Blue Ribbon employees do not receive a paycheck, which results in several disgruntled workers. Luckily, Knight’s East Coast connections lend him some money to help him smooth things over and get everyone paid. 

Following these financial difficulties, Knight’s bank in California officially cuts him off. They refuse to work with him any longer and insist he take his business elsewhere. Desperate, Knight goes to Nissho, explains the situation, and asks for more money. Ito, Knight’s contact at Nissho, tells him that he will need to look over Blue Ribbon’s books before he can issue another loan.

The same evening, Knight speaks with Perry Holland, his contact at the Bank of California who tells him that the FBI is investigating him for fraud. After hearing the news of the investigation, Knight starts to spiral. He worries that he will lose everything he worked for over the last several years and he does not feel he has done anything wrong.

Knight holds a conference with his best men, including Woodell. Together, they decide Nissho’s assessment of their books will be the most important thing moving forward. However, to make matters worse, Knight worries Ito will be upset when he discovers Blue Ribbon is operating factories outside of Japan. Still, Knight’s problems do not stop there. The checks Blue Ribbon sends to their creditors begin bouncing, and Knight gets a number of angry phone calls from creditors claiming they plan to pull out. A few even intend to come to Blue Ribbon and collect their money in person.

The day the creditors arrive at Blue Ribbon is the same day Ito comes to look over the books. Knight orders his employees to keep the creditors occupied and away from each other so they do not discover that things are even more dire than they seem. While Blue Ribbon’s employees steer the creditors around the office, Knight regularly checks in on Ito to see if he has discovered the secret factories yet.

Eventually, Ito discovers everything Knight feared he would. However, to Knight’s surprise, Ito is not mad at him. Ito understands that Knight did everything he did in order to help Blue Ribbon succeed. He does not begrudge Knight; rather, he believes in him. Together, Knight and Ito speak to Holland at the Bank of California, and Ito writes a huge check to cover Blue Ribbon’s expenses. Knight realizes that Ito’s check means there will be no FBI investigation and so Blue Ribbon is once again free to continue its growing and operating as it has been.