Air Jordan is a line of basketball and sportswear shoes produced by Nike, Inc. The shoes, related apparel and accessories are now marketed under Jordan Brand. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls on November 17, 1984, and released to the public on April 1, 1985.[2] The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.[3][4] The brand's logo, known as the "Jumpman", originated from a photograph by Co Rentmeester that was taken before Jordan played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
History
As Michael Jordan entered his rookie year in 1984, he was approached to sign a shoe deal with Adidas, Converse, and Nike. In their meeting with Jordan, Nike centered its presentation around a highlight video of Jordan's various slam dunks, scored to "Jump (For My Love)" by the Pointer Sisters. Nike showcased the first design of the shoe, but Jordan criticized its colorway. While other companies saw Jordan as a figure for promoting preexisting shoe lines, Nike took Jordan's criticism into account to make him "a stand alone star and give him a signature shoe line."[5]
On October 26, 1984, Jordan signed a six-year, $2.5 million deal with Nike, three times more than any other deal in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the time. In addition, Jordan would get royalties from products sold by Nike with his name, which was at the time considered an industry disruptive move. Nike released the Air Jordan sneaker line in April 1985 with the goal of making $3 million in the first three years. Sales greatly exceeded expectations, earning $126 million in one year.[6][7]
Logo
The "Jumpman" logo originated from a photo shoot Michael Jordan did for Life magazine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus before he played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics, photographed by Co Rentmeester. Jordan posed in a manner identical to the grand jeté ballet technique, while holding a basketball with his left hand, and wearing his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes.[15][16] Moore, who was in charge of the design team, came across this Life magazine issue and had Jordan replicate the pose, this time in Chicago and wearing his Bulls uniform and Nike Air Jordan shoes.[17] The "Jumpman" logo has developed and gone through different changes and can be seen on sneakers, attire, hats, socks, and other forms of wear. It has become one of the most recognizable logos in the athletics industry.[18]
Models
Other shoes from the Air Jordan line
The Jordan Packages
The Jordan Spiz'ike shoes were released on October 21, 2006, as a tribute to Michael Jordan and Spike Lee's relationship. The relationship began when Mars Blackmon (a character from Spike Lee's film, She's Gotta Have It) became a pitchman in Nike commercials for Air Jordans.[53] The Spiz'ike is a blend of the Jordan III, IV, V, VI, and XX shoes. Only 4,032 pairs were made of the original release, with the proceeds going to a new film institute at Morehouse College.[54][55]
Released in 2006 retailing at $295 containing the sneakers Michael Jordan wore during his first championship of his two three-peats. The Retro 11 Concord contains a gold Jumpman on the side, but originally was meant to also have gold eyelets spelling out Jordan.
Controversies
The polyurethane (PU) material in the soles of many Air Jordan models can break down over time, and many collectors find that their vintage pairs are often unwearable.[61] Known as PU degradation, polyurethane soles are susceptible to hydrolysis and oxidation, and shoes with this material have been found to have a poor aging performance.[62] Nike does not provide information as to the type of PU they use in their Air Jordan lines, and have avoided answering questions in the past, as was the case in Wired's widely cited article on the PU controversy within the sneaker community, "We asked Nike about PU degradation and what might be done about it, but the company declined to comment."[61]
The Air Jordan line has been associated with riots, assaults, robberies, and murders.[63][64] Fifteen-year-old high school student Michael Eugene Thomas was choked to death by one of his peers for a pair of Air Jordan sneakers in 1989.
Social and cultural impact
Air Jordans became a status symbol in sneaker culture with global sales. The impact of Air Jordans expanded from basketball and sports into fashion, pop culture, and hip-hop. Air Jordans becoming a staple in casual wear and streetwear culture. The popularity of the sneaker has risen from its connection to the hip-hop scene since 1985.[69] Rappers in the 1990s including 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Ice Cube, and Jay-Z mentioned Michael Jordan's sneakers and success in their music.[8] They were also been seen on many hip-hop album covers including Eazy-E wearing Air Jordan III on the Eazy-Duz-It album cover and music videos including "Otis" where Jay-Z and Kanye West are seen wearing the Air Jordan I and Air Jordans VI.[70] The shoes were also worn by many artists and celebrities on a casual and everyday basis. Collaborations between hip-hop artists and the Jordan Brand also drove its popularity, including Travis Scott's "Cactus Jack" collaborations with the Jordan Brand and Nike.
Sponsorships
In 1997, Air Jordan selected the first three collegiate sponsorships for the Jordan Brand: Cincinnati Bearcats, St. John's Red Storm, and North Carolina A&T Aggies.[96] North Carolina A&T, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), ended its sponsorship in 2003 when it signed with Russell Athletic. Since then, Jordan Brand partnered with Howard University Athletics, another HBCU, in 2022 for all their programs except the men's and women's golf teams, which are already sponsored by Stephen Curry's Curry Brand.[97]
Starting in 2016, Air Jordan became the sole equipment provider for the Michigan Wolverines football team.[98] This marked the brand's first venture into a sport besides basketball. As of 2023, Air Jordan is also the equipment provider for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, and UCLA Bruins football programs.[99]
Philanthropy
The Jordan Brand partners with the UNCF and others to fund the higher education of underprivileged youth.[166]
The Jordan Brand also focuses on philanthropy with many large donations throughout the years to communities, athletes, and schools.[167] The brand pledges to help with pressing issues in black communities through grants to the communities focusing on economic justice, education, social justice, and Narrative changes to the youth.[168]
See also
- Flu Game shoes
- List of basketball shoe brands
- Nike Air Max
- Nike Blazers
Further reading
External links
- "History of the Air Jordan franchise" at SneakerNews.com
- "Every Jordan Ever Made" at Nike
- Full Archive of All Jordans released in past 10+ years.
- "Factual America Podcast, Episode 27: Air Jordan: A Cultural Phenomenon" where filmmakers Yemi Bamiro and Will Thorne talk about their documentary "One Man and His Shoes" and the history of Air Jordans.
References
- Nick Engvall. Today In Sneaker History: Michael Jordan Debuts the Nike Air Jordan Sneakerhistory.com, November 17, 2015, retrieved November 3, 2024^
- Randy Harvey. Clear The Dunkway, Michael Jordan Is . . .TAKING TO AIR : NBA Star Leaps Into Profitable Shoe Market Los Angeles Times, 1985-04-26, retrieved 2023-05-10^
- Jordan - Air & Space