The Jordan name now is, in a word, legendary. Michael Jordan is known as the father of shoes, having released 36 mainstream models, working on other projects, and selling billions of dollars’ worth of footwear.
And no other shoe in the world of sneakers has the same mystique as the Air Jordan 1. It’s arguable that this shoe was the catalyst for the initial growth of the sneaker business. And no matter what happens next, many people will look back on the Jordan I as the finest, most lovable shoe of all time.
Also, it’s a shoe that nearly didn’t happen. Michael Jordan claimed that Converse’s Chuck Taylor was his favorite shoe to wear while playing in college. He loved this shoe so much that he was determined to sign with Converse once he made it to the NBA. Yet, Nike persisted and even persuaded Jordan’s parents to bring him to the Nike campus in Oregon. By outlining their strategy for making Jordan a whole brand and not simply a pair of shoes, Nike made an effort to persuade him. Jordan, though, didn’t care about any of it since he just didn’t like Nike’s shoes because the bottoms were too thick. Nike was glad to make the alteration, which led to the legacy of the Air Jordan.
Jordan’s first pair of shoes would be created by none other than Nike’s creative director, Peter C. Moore. Jordan initially disliked the Jordan I design, referring to them as “clown sneakers,” although he would later grow to enjoy them. Jordan played in Nike Air Ships until the Air Jordans were ready in November of that year since they wouldn’t have been ready when his rookie season in 1985 began. Even in hindsight, it’s difficult to tell the two shoes from, which is why Nike chose the Air Ships in the first shape since they knew that people would mistake them for the Air Jordan I and that this would boost sales when they ultimately released.
What began as a basketball sneaker swiftly influenced pop culture, fashion, and high fashion in subsequent years. In terms of footwear, there has never been a brand with more sway; this is virtually a historical truth. But what if it didn’t happen? What if the NBA made a bigger effort to stop those kicks from occurring on the court? What if Nike executives weren’t able to leverage the Air Jordan 1’s “banning” to boost the shoe’s notoriety?
The NBA kind of didn’t want the Jordan brand to be as popular as it is now, which contributes to its success. In an exhibition game against the Knicks on October 18, 1984, Jordan entered the court with sneakers that were mostly red and black. Nowadays, this wouldn’t seem like such a strange idea, but in 1984, there were certain universal rules that had to be followed. A player was required to wear sneakers that matched those of his teammates and included 51 percent white. The red and black sneakers — Jordan subsequently would refer to them as “devil’s hues” — drew the notice of NBA commissioner David Stern.
The NBA executive vice president Russ Granik informed Nike vice president Rob Strasser in a harsh letter (get it?) in February 1985 that Jordan would not be permitted to wear such sneakers on the court because they violated various regulations.There is some folklore attached to it, though, like with anything Jordan.Although Jordan donned a pair of sneakers that were prohibited from games, it wasn’t the Air Jordan 1. The Jordan 1’s predecessor, the Nike Air Ship, was really outlawed due to the color scheme “His Airness” wore. While the Air Ship was a pre-existing ship, its profile was eerily similar to that of its descendant.
In order to comply with NBA regulations, Jordan and Nike would change the color scheme in subsequent years to include more white. For the 1985 dunk competition, Jordan would don the Air Jordan 1 “Banned” colorway, with Nike’s “Banned” advertising campaign in full effect. Until the NBA loosened the color limitations for its players in the late 2000s, the 51-percent rule would remain in effect. Color limitations on shoes were fully eliminated in 2018–19.
- Rubber sole
- 100% Authentic
- Air Jordan UNC 1
Retro style at it’s finest. As an experienced sneakerhead, I’m sure you’re well aware of the Air Jordan 1 shoes – and for good reason. Whether you’re a closet collector or an avid wearer, there’s a lot to love about them. Not only have they been around for decades, but they also continue to impress with each new release
The first shoe was the Air Jordan 1. The Jordan 1 was created by Peter Moore, and it was on sale for just $64.99 at the end of March 1985.
The Jordan 1 no longer qualifies as a performance shoe, yet it still has some of the finest on-court traction ever.
There are High, Mid, and Low variants of the Jordan 1 sneaker, which has been offered in a wide variety of colors. One of the first sneakers to receive the pro-tro treatment from Nike was the Jordan 1, which was one of the first styles to be retro-ed in 1994.
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