Air Jordan sneakers are one of the most iconic shoes in streetwear and are seen almost everywhere in the media. From movies to magazines, it is safe to say that these sneakers are some of the hottest shoes out! Despite their popularity, however, the history of the brand is rarely discussed.
It all started with Michael Jordan, a now-retired NBA player who was drafted by the Bulls in 1984. Jordan’s stats are legendary as he won the franchise 6 finals. Although he retired for a brief time, he never lost the touch that made him stand out above the rest; dominating teams all the way from his initial draft to final retirement. Jordan is often hailed as the G.O.A.T ( “greatest of all time”) of basketball. Much of that is not only due to his insane basketball prowess but his “Air Jordan” brand as well as the shoes of the same name.
Air Jordans are Michael Jordan’s signature shoe, housed by the brand of the same name. The brand initially started with just the sneakers, the original Air Jordan 1’s. The Air Jordan 1 was designed by Peter Moore, Bruce Kilgore, and Tinker Hatfieldand (exclusively produced for MJ in early 1984), and was released to the public later that year for $65. They garnished a fair amount of success, but due to the ban placed on the Nike Air Ship shoes, they were also banned due to being multicolored. Despite this, Michael Jordan still wore the shoes on the court, receiving a $5,000 fine each time. The Air Jordan brand was able to use this “banning” in ads and promotional tools, promoting their shoes as having an unfair advantage. This led to the initial success of the Air Jordan 1, which were re-released as “Retro’s” in later years. There is no doubt that the success of the Air Jordan 1 helped kickstart the Air Jordan brand.
Soon, other models and “purposes” were cropping up for the Jordan brand. The Air Jordan 2 (designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore in Italy) was a bit different from the OG shoes. The 2’s did have a full-length Nike air bubble but lacked the frontal Nike logo that had made its predecessor attractive. The shoes were still appealing and retailed for $100 during the initial 1986 release.
Fast forward a bit after that, the Air Jordan III shoes were officially released and designed by Tinker Hatfield at Nike. This design convinced Jordan to stay with Nike (he was seriously already ready to leave). The design was a first of its kind, having a visible air unit in the heel, a unique elephant pattern as well as tumble leather, and the new Jumpman logo. Personally, they were Jordan’s favorite shoe, and he wore them in many of his career-defining events (for instance the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest). When they were reintroduced in 1994, however, they received poor sales. This didn’t last long, as with more re-releases, they faired pretty well. These two models led to the IV-XXXIII models, as well as additional “take” on the Air Jordan’s. This helped to seal the deal on Air Jordan being a defining force in the world of sneakers.
Jordan went on to produce the Jordan’s IV-XXXIII’s, with the earlier models garnishing massive success and being able to propel themselves into a brand. The brand has been able to produce shirts, jackets, pants, socks, and so much more! Over the years, collaborations have included the likes of Virgil Abloh, Don C, Travis Scott and sponsored NBA players as well as leagues. The brand’s Off-White collaborations have done the best, reselling at over $1,000 and giving the brand’s other shoes a fair amount of popularity once again. The brand also collaborated with Russell Westbrook to create the “Why Not“ shoe, which was inspired by the Air Jordan 6. The release of this shoe was soon followed by shirts donning a unique design and thick material (keeping the wearer warm with a good fit). To think that all of this started from the #1 rookie out of North Carolina, Michael Jordan, and his release of the Air Jordan 1’s is absolutely mind-boggling.
Plenty of rookies have tried to follow in Jordan’s footsteps, but none of them have had enough buzz or eye for the game of basketball as he did, which caused them to fail. Jordan was one of a kind for his time. Although it seems as if his title is up for grabs, Jordan’s success with the Air Jordan 1’s, the Bulls as well as his own brand has solidified that he will stay on top of the sports market for many years to come.
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