The History of the Air Jordan Shoe

Currently, Jordan is one of the most recognizable brands in the sporting world, and it has a particular affinity with basketball fans. Named after one of the greatest players of all time, the fact that a brand named solely after one player can be so successful is a tribute to the talent and character of the Bulls great. Michael Jordan has six NBA rings and many other accolades, but the Jordan brand is the longest-lasting achievement of all.

The Origins of Air Jordan

Not all shoe deals go smoothly, and evidence of this was seen when Nike missed out on signing Steph Curry to the brand. As the story goes, one of the biggest reasons why Curry chose not to sign with Nike was because of a name error. In fact, two name errors. As well as pronouncing his name wrong in the meeting, the presentation itself contained Kevin Durant’s name rather than Steph Curry’s name. Dell Curry, his father, disliked the lack of respect and the overall sloppiness of the approach.

You might think that Jordan created a shoe, and the rest was history, but there were problems in the early days for Michael Jordan too. After the release of the Air Jordan I, the shoe was eventually banned from the NBA because the colors went against the existing regulations. As Jordan continued to ignore the ban, the shoe (and the player) gained in popularity. Despite resistance, the Air Jordan became a sensation.

According to Nike, the company aimed to make $100,000 from the first model. However, early orders and sales led to revenue of around $55 million. Just recently, a pair of original Nike Air Jordan I shoes went to auction at Sotheby’s and sold for $560,000. There are pairs in decent condition selling for less, but if you visit an auction site like Ebay, you will find them selling for a substantial amount. You can also find heavily used pairs of these shoes, with torn leather, and worn soles. This would give an investor an opportunity to make the purchase, and then find someone that specializes in shoe repairs Melbourne to repair the leather and soles of the shoe. Back to the shoes though, in case previous accolades weren’t enough, this made the Air Jordan I shoes the most expensive sneakers in history.

Considering most of Jordan’s success came in the 1990s, it was a huge risk for Nike to take so early in his career. At first, the shoe was designed for Jordan to wear during games in 1984. After much attention and interest from fans, the company made some available for the broader public in 1985 – all of this in the first two seasons of Jordan’s NBA career.

As far as the very first model goes, it was designed by Tinker Hatfield, Peter Moore, and Bruce Kilgore. The former of these names went on to design several Jordan models, including the Air Jordan XX, the 2010, and every model between Air Jordan 3 and 15.

The 51% Rule

What caused the controversy between Michael Jordan and David Stern (NBA Commissioner at the time)? In the 1980s, the league had a rule that meant that all shoes needed to be primarily white. Players could wear shoes with team colors and other colors, but they needed to contain mostly white. Being mainly black and red, the Air Jordan I went against regulations and attracted the interest of leading figures in the NBA.

Rather than backing off, Jordan leaned into the drama and continued to wear the shoes. What’s more, Nike used it as a marketing tool claiming that players with the Air Jordan I would have an unfair advantage on the court.

Over the years, the Air Jordan has gone through many changes, and the most recent design, released in 2018, contained no laces for the first time. The man is a legend, the brand is legendary, and what started as Nike designing a shoe for an NBA player has turned into a $10 billion+ empire.