Saturday, Sept. 3rd 2016 is one of those days in the life of a sneakerhead, when the sun seems a little bit brighter and the smiles seem a little bit warmer.
Why? One of the absolute must-have-shoes in sneaker history is being re-released. The Air Jordan 1 Retro “Banned” is coming back. It’s the shoe that took the world by storm in the colorway that changed the game.
When coming up with a short list of basketball shoes that had a true impact on the game of basketball, undoubtedly the Air Jordan I will be on that list. If not at the top then very close to it. Without the very first Air Jordan there would be no AJ3 Black Cement or AJ11 Concord. That whole Air Jordan series gone, from 1 to 31. The signature shoes, too. No shoes for Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler or Carmelo Anthony. In all likelihood the name “Jordan” would only stand for a dude that was pretty good at basketball, not a brand. Now I don’t know about you, but if you have the same name as a COUNTRY and people think of you first, not the country, that’s a whole ‘nother level of fame. This is arguably just as much thanks to MJ’s products as his success in basketball. No other athlete – in any sport – has ever achieved that level of excellence in both areas on and off the court and no one probably ever will.
Michael Jordan and his Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ were a true game changer in the athletic shoe industry and it influenced how we view basketball shoes today.
HOW DID JORDAN AND NIKE COME TOGETHER?
Back when the Air Jordan 1 came out in 1985 Nike was still known primarily as a running shoe company. Michael originally wanted to sign with either Converse or adidas both of which he wore during his college days in North Carolina. At first he was really not interested in signing with Nike at all. But Converse declined and according to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 so did Adidas.
“Adidas distributors wanted to sign Mr. Jordan”, says someone who was an Adidas distributor then. But executives in Germany decided shoppers would favor taller players and wanted to sponsor centers, the person says, adding: “We kept saying, ‘no—no one can relate to those guys. Who can associate with a seven-foot-tall guy?’” – Wall Street Journal
In what would turn out to be one of the biggest errors of judgment ever (Portland picking Sam Bowie instead of Michael in the ’84 NBA Draft being one of them), the table was set for Nike simply by self-elimination of its main competitors. … Still MJ was not convinced.
Michael Jordan in his Rookie season (Getty Images)
Only when Nike offered to give MJ his own shoe- and clothing line did he change his mind. After all having your own line of signature shoes was unheard of in the NBA. Basketball players simply did not get “signature” products. Kareem was getting $100,000 from Adidas, and James Worthy got an 8-year, $1.2 million deal with New Balance, but nobody had an entire product line named after them. Up to that point this privilege was reserved for tennis players alone. (Ever heard of “Stan Smith”?) As the first basketball player with his own signature shoes Jordan would immediately become the king of basketball sneaker advertising.
Nike designer Peter Moore, designer of the Air Jordan Is and Air Jordan IIs, hastily sketched out the Wings-Logo, worked it into a presentation and the decision was made: Michael joined Nike for $2.5 million over 5 years. Just to be on the safe side Nike worked an out-clause into the contract: if Air Jordans didn’t earn Nike $3 million in the first 3 years, or if Jordan didn’t make the NBA All-Star Game in his first three years, Nike could dump him. Of course Jordan was voted into the All-Star Game as a Rookie starter and the shoe made Nike $130 million in 1985 alone.
The rest is history.
Nike’s history. Because Nike’s success ever since is of course directly linked to the Jordan signing in 1984. In fact there are a lot of people who think there would be no Nike today at all, if it wasn’t for one Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
BANNED OR NOT?
Originally tagged at $65 per pair the Air Jordan 1 shoe was more expensive than its counterparts and needed an unprecedented ad campaign and Michael Jordan’s spectacular Rookie season to convince people to buy it. At the forefront was a now famous TV commercial that claimed the NBA had banned the Air Jordan 1 from the game (see below).
But was it ever banned? No. Thanks to Sole Collector’s research we learned many years later that the shoe that had been banned was not the Air Jordan I at all. In bold to emphasize: The shoe that was banned was NOT the Air Jordan I. It was the black and red Nike Air Ship! But the Jordan line needed the publicity and from a distance (no HD TV back then) those shoes do look very much alike. So Nike went along for the ride. Once the urban legend had spread in ’85 there was no stopping it anyway. The Air Jordan 1 ‘became’ the shoe that was banned and the sales went through the roof. People just had to have the shoe that was not allowed in the NBA and the Air Jordan series began its unstoppable march through sneaker history.
The original Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’ colorway (Getty Images)
To this day, new colorways of the Air Jordan I are constantly being introduced and original colorways like the famous ‘banned’ version are being retro-ed, making it one of the most successful athletic shoes of all time. Just like other sneakers that started out as basketball performance shoes (e.g. Adidas Superstar, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, Nike Air Force 1) the Air Jordan I has transitioned into a popular lifestyle choice.
It will do so for many years to come, because the classic Air Jordan silhouette is timeless and legends never die.
That old saying goes for both the man and the shoe.
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JORDAN FOR THREE
Because all good things come in threes, Nike releases the brandnew Air Jordan XXXI and the Jordan Trainer 1 low along with the Air Jordan 1 on the same day (Sept. 3rd, 2016) and in the matching ‘banned’ colorway. To learn more about the Air Jordan XXXI and its revolutionary performance features please read Max’ blogpost here.
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ON THE COURT
Greatest Michael Jordan moments wearing the Air Jordan 1:
– 63 point playoff performance vs Larry Bird and the Celtics causing Bird to say afterwards “That was God disguised as Michael Jordan!” (April 20th, 1986)
– 1985 NBA All Star Starter
– 1985 NBA Slam Dunk Champion
– 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
Michael Jordan’s stats for 1984-85 season, wearing the Air Jordan 1:
– 28.2 pts, 6.5 reb, 5.9 ass, 2.4 stl, 51.5% fg, 84.5% ft (21 years old)
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INDIANAPOLIS – FEBRUARY 10: Michael Jordan #23 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars brings the ball upcourt against the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Western Conference All-Stars during the 1985 NBA All-Star game at Market Square Arena on February 10, 1985 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Jordan;Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PORTLAND, OR – CIRCA 1991: Michael Jordan #23 Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls talk against the Portland Trailblazers during a game played at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon circa 1991. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – 1985: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles against the Milwaukee Bucks circa 1985 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Robert Lewis/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO – APRIL 1985: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls moves the ball at the parameter during an Eastern Conference First Round Playoff game April 1985 game at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. The Bucks won the series 3-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls looks on before a game played in 1986 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during a 1986 season NBA game. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images)
Apr 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Scott Cunningham/NBA /Allsport
ATLANTA – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls stands wearing Nike sneakers against the Atlanta Hawks during an NBA game circa 1986 at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls rests on bench against the Atlanta Hawks during an NBA game circa 1986 at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO – 1985: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls poses for a photo during a 1985 photo shoot in Chicago Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
1 Jan 1986: Michael Jordan#23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice and Credit: Copyright 2001 NBAE Photo By: Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images
BOSTON, MA – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics during a game circa 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – 1986: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics shoots over Dave Corzine #40 of the Chicago Bulls while Michael Jordan #23, also of the Bulls, swipes at the shot from behind during a game circa 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during a game played in 1986 at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 17: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls moves the ball against Danny Ainge #44 of the Boston Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 1986 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 123-104 and won the series 3-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a jump shot against Danny Ainge #44 of the Boston Celtics during an NBA game played in 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 20: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals during the 1986 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeated the Bulls, 135-131 in double-overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls looks to make a move against the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots the patented fade away jumper against Robert Parish #00 of the Boston Celtics during an NBA game played in 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – FEBRUARY 10: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls goes for a dunk during the 1985 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Competition at the Hoosier Dome on February 10, 1985 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 1985 (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – CIRCA 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls walks on the court prior to a game against the Portland Trailblazers during a game played at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon circa 1986. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 9: (L-R) Clyde Drexler, Orlando Woolridge, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Terrence Stansbury, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Nance and Darrell Griffith pose for a portrait prior to the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest on February 9, 1985 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 17: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a layup against Dennis Johnson #3 of the Boston Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 1986 NBA Playoffs played on April 17, 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 123-104 and won the series 3-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 17: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls moves the ball up court against Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 1986 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 123-104 and won the series 3-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 17: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Danny Ainge #44 of the Boston Celtics during Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals played on April 17, 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 123-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – 1986: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls looks during the 1986 season NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Copyright 1986 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
1985: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls moves the ball upcourt during a 1985 season NBA game. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – 1985: Michael Jordan#23 of the Chicago Bulls blocks a shot against the Atlanta Hawks during an NBA game at the Omni circa 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1985 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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