The book examines the formation and transformation of the Chinese exportled footwear industry from a political-economic perspective. In particular, it explains why Taiwanese businessmen succeeded in developing the industry while Nike, the largest shoe producer in the word, failed. Several theories are explored, rooted in neoclassical economic, new institutional economics, new institutional sociology, and new economic sociology, to explain why the Taiwanese but not Nike succeeded in China. But these explanatory models are all found wanting. Instead, the thesis demonstrates that a model of...