Air Jordan
Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under the Jordan Brand.
For the defunct airline, see Air Jordan (airline).Product type
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][3] The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.[4][5]
The Jordan Logo, known as the "Jumpman", originated from a photograph by Jacobus Rentmeester, taken before Jordan played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
History[edit]
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."[6]
On October 26, 1984, Michael Jordan signed a five-year, US$2.5 million deal with Nike, three times more than any other deal in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the time. 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.[7][8][9]
The NBA policy stated that the shoes must be 51% white and in accordance with the shoes that the rest of the team was wearing. Failure to follow this policy resulted in a $5,000 fine per game (equivalent to $15,000 in 2023). Nike designed the Air Jordan I based on the Chicago Bulls' red and black team colors with only 23% white, which violated the NBA's policy. Nike agreed to pay each fine, garnering both controversy and publicity around the shoe.[9] Fines imposed by the NBA on Jordan for wearing the shoes bestowed upon them an iconic brand and was later regarded as groundbreaking in part due to its defiance of NBA regulations.[10] Nike also took advantage of this marketing opportunity with the Air Jordan I "Banned" advertisement, which stated "On September 15th, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can't keep you from wearing them. Air Jordan. From Nike."[11] The shoe sold out at 50,000 pairs and generated more than $150 million in sales.[12]
On September 9, 1997, Michael Jordan and Nike introduced Jordan Brand (originally called 'Brand Jordan'). The brand has built a sustainable business model by releasing Air Jordan shoes and apparel, and collaborating with popular artists.[7][13] In 2022 alone, Jordan Brand brought in $5.1 billion to Nike. Of that, a reported $150–256 million went directly to Michael Jordan under his deal with Nike.[14][15]
Philanthropy[edit]
The Jordan Brand partners with the UNCF and others to fund the higher education of underprivileged youth.[159]
The Jordan brand also focuses on philanthropy with many large donations throughout the years to communities, athletes, and schools.[160] 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.[161]
