A clinician superficially a wedding least getting a instruments novice bodies are simply different, and thus the shoes need to be different, like more arch support. To have a great the US, he believes Onitsuka needs to customize their shoes for Americans. He draws up countless designs and sends them to Japan, only to receive no response. Occasionally they relent and make a few prototypes, and indeed they're far better. Undeterred by Onitsuka's hesitance, Bowerman even experiments with producing homemade rubber to make new soles. You might be able to where this is going. Blue Ribbon's first salesman, has a personality quirk he sends mountains of letters, detailing his every development, every sale and notable customer. He sends advertising ideas shoe designs and his insistence on opening a retail shop Los feels smothered and rarely replies to 's letters. From studying war heroes and generals, he holds a virtue: 't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. And delivers results. His customers him, depending on to solve their problems both running and life. Even when he gets a car crash and breaks his skull, he's continuing to sell shoes. even issues him a challenge sell 3 pairs of shoes a few months, and could open his retail space LA. And sell he does now Blue Ribbon has official runner mecca Los .A Blue Ribbon store At one point, sends one letter that can't ignore. One of 's customers says that he can start getting Tiger running shoes from another seller a wrestling coach somewhere the East Coast. The same wrestling coach from 1964 who was supposed to stick to wrestling shoes. This simply can't do. The wrestling coach is stepping on Blue Ribbon's turf, capitalizing on all the hard work they've done building brand recognition for Onitsuka. flies to Japan to meet with Onitsuka. He has a new contact a slick looking named Kitami. They settle into a large conference room with other executives. lays out his case. They'd been doubling their sales each year and projecting $84 sales 1967. He'd like to become Onitsuka's exclusive US distributor for track and field. Kitami rebuffs him. They wants someone bigger, more established, with nationwide offices. counters that they not only do they have a new retail shop Los they have offices on both coasts. After some deliberation, Onitsuka delivers good news Blue Ribbon be the exclusive distributor of Tiger track and field shoes the United States. Onitsuka would send shoes immediately to Blue Ribbon's East Coast office. Take that, wrestling coach. is both ecstatic and anxious. Anxious because he has to open East Coast office before the shoes arrive. He also needs someone to run the office. There's only one person crazy and passionate enough to do this at a moment's notice .A Blue Ribbon ad, with their 3 stores the bottom left does leave for the East Coast, but not without a fight. His father, a salesman himself, pushes to ask for more a partnership Blue Ribbon, $600 monthly salary, and a third of all profits after 6 pairs sold. Neither nor Bowerman, the only owners of Blue Ribbon, want to give up their equity. flies to and his father to negotiate. Despite the arguments of 's father, holds steady he would give a $50 raise, and that was it. didn't want to sell equity since it would mean majority control of Blue Ribbon. looked torn, but he didn't want to quit. He needed Blue Ribbon, and despite 's refusal to answer his letters, felt like he blossomed. Blue Ribbon is hiring rapidly, and Bowerman has a lead for Woodell was famous. He was a standout runner at Oregon, but accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and now a wheelchair. meets with him and they're mutually smitten. offers him a job opening Blue Ribbon's second retail store OR. Woodell Bowerman is doing other things, as always. He designs a new training shoe with a more solid sole. Onitsuka actually listens and creates a prototype, and they name it the Aztec, recognition of the 1968 Olympics Mexico City. Then sues they have a shoe called the Azteca Gold. response, they rename their shoe after the conqueror of the Aztecs Bowerman has also written a book called Jogging. Remember what I said above about running being a nonsense activity? This book changes that. Jogging sells a million copies, sparking a movement and a whole new generation of runners. Blue Ribbon moves out of 's apartment and into its first real office. It's a fixer-upper, with tissue thin walls and broken windows. has settled on the location of their first East Coast office Wellesley, a place where runners seemed to abound and the Boston Marathon ran through. Blue Ribbon sales are set to double yet again, for its fifth straight year, nearing $160. But they're still skating on such thin ice that can't afford to draw a salary. His accounting job at Price Waterhouse takes up 6 days a week,