Shoes are not all that Air Jordans are. They are flying icons that represent sport, invention, and art at their pinnacle levels. It takes more than just putting on shoes to lace up a pair of Air Jordans in the original colors. Putting on one of the most accomplished and rebellious artifacts to ever change the business is like arming yourself.
How the Air Jordan 1 was made
A 1984 agreement led to the creation of the shoe. The NBA’s official shoe at the time was Converse. The business informed him that they couldn’t elevate Jordan beyond the other sportsmen they supported, including stars like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, therefore Jordan chose against working with them. The business told him they just couldn’t make a shoe work at the time, despite the fact that Adidas was his favorite sneaker at the time. Jordan’s agent, David Falk, urged him to sign with Nike, which at the time was more well-known for its track shoes, but he was not interested.
What gave Air Jordan its name
The next step was getting Jordan his own sneaker. Nike has recently introduced air soles, a new technology for running shoes, according to Falk. And since Michael obviously played in the air, I replied, “I get it, let’s name it Air Jordan.”
How Air Jordan got popular
According to lore, the NBA really forbade the initial model of Michael Jordan’s shoes because they broke the rule that a team’s uniform should be mostly white and reflect those colors. Jordan allegedly received a $5,000 punishment from Nike for each game in which he wore the outlawed Air Jordan 1 shoes, and Nike gladly paid the fines in order to profit from the publicity.
The rest, however, is history in terms of the ubiquity of Air Jordans. The shoe rose to fame as a must-have item in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it continues to be a mainstay of street style today.
Rapper Nas says in the film, “For a youngster, that was almost like owning a lightsaber from Star Wars.” “To be like him, you require that shoe. You could tell this man was the one since it was more than just a status symbol.” Jordans helped to popularize sneakers.
The Jordan 1’s legacy
According to the documentary, Jordan donned his Jordan 1s for his final game at MSG as a Bull since it was his favorite location to play and the first pair of shoes he ever wore there. Of course, things didn’t quite turn out the way he had intended; in the movie, Jordan admits, “by halftime, my feet are bleeding,” recognizing that “innovation has taken a long turn.” Nevertheless, he continued.
Although there have been many variants of the Air Jordan, the Air Jordan 1 has remained legendary, which is why the first model is still being made today. And I can now say that The Last Dance may have convinced you to buy a pair of Jordan sneakers for yourself.
Here are the top 15 Air Jordans ever made are:
- Air Jordan I- April 1985, $65, Peter Moore
- Air Jordan III- January 1988, $100, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XI- 1995, $125, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan IV- February 1989, $110, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan II- November 1986, $100, Peter Moore & Bruce Kilgore
- Air Jordan V- February 1990, $125, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XII- November 1996, $135, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan VI- 1991, $125, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan X- 1994- 1995, $125, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XIV- October 1998, $150, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XIII- November 1997, $150, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan VII- 1992, $125, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XV- December 1999, $150, Tinker Hatfield
- Air Jordan XVIII- February 2003, $175, Tate Kuerbis
- Air Jordan XVII- February 2002, $200, Wilson Smith III
Conclusion
Concerning the future, Jordan has made it quite obvious to the shoe business that it is here to stay. And in order to accomplish that, they are signing on more athletes, celebrities, and creatives! A brand will live on and be strong for a very long time if it has a variety of engaging promotions. And ultimately, the Air Jordan brand will continue to exist as long as Michael Jordan’s legacy does.
