Let's start with some stats, shall we? According to Forbes, the Air Jordan line generated a whopping $3.14 billion in revenue for Nike in 2019. That's more than what some countries make in a year! And the Air Jordan 11 alone has sold over 2 million pairs worldwide. That's enough to fill up the entire Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where the Lakers play.
But what makes this collaboration so successful? Well, let's start with the obvious - Michael Jordan. The man himself was a legend on the court, and his partnership with Nike in 1984 to create the Air Jordan line was a game-changer in the sneaker industry. And if you don't know who Michael Jordan is, then you've been living under a rock. He's the guy who won six NBA championships, has a famous sneaker line named after him, and is basically basketball royalty.
How did it all start?
In the early 1980s, Michael Jordan was a talented young basketball player from the University of North Carolina who was quickly gaining a reputation as a rising star. At the time, Nike was a relatively new player in the basketball shoe industry, having only released their first basketball shoe in 1972. It was during this time that Nike and Michael Jordan crossed paths, and the rest is history.
In 1984, Nike's basketball division was struggling to compete with the more established brands such as Converse and Adidas. That's when Nike executive Rob Strasser had an idea - to create a line of basketball shoes with a rising young basketball player as its face. Strasser saw Jordan as the perfect fit for this new line of shoes and convinced Nike's then-CEO, Phil Knight, to sign Jordan to a contract.
But Nike wasn't the only brand interested in signing Michael Jordan. Adidas was also in the running, and Jordan himself had expressed interest in signing with the brand. Jordan had been a fan of Adidas since his college days, and the brand had already signed other high-profile basketball players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.
So how did Nike ultimately win the bidding war for Jordan's signature? It all came down to one pivotal moment during a meeting with Jordan's agent, David Falk. Falk had already received offers from Adidas and Converse and was meeting with Nike as a courtesy. But when Falk saw the design for the Air Jordan shoe, he was blown away. The shoe's sleek design and unique colors immediately caught Falk's eye, and he knew that Nike had something special.
Jordan was also impressed with the Air Jordan design and agreed to sign with Nike, despite the fact that Adidas had offered him a higher contract. The Air Jordan line was born, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Air Jordan 1 was released in 1985 and quickly became a best-seller, launching what would become one of the most successful and enduring collaborations in sports and fashion history.
It's clear that Nike's meeting with Michael Jordan was a pivotal moment in the brand's history. Had Nike not taken a chance on Jordan, the Air Jordan line may never have existed. And had Adidas won the bidding war, the sneaker industry as we know it today could look very different. But in the end, it was Nike's innovative design and commitment to creating a unique and memorable shoe that won Michael Jordan over.
But let's not forget about Nike. It's also about the innovative designs and collaborations that the Nike and Jordan partnership has produced over the years. The Air Jordan 1, released in 1985, was the first sneaker in the Air Jordan line and is still one of the most popular designs. And the Air Jordan 3, released in 1988, was the first sneaker in the line to feature the iconic Jumpman logo.
Here are the top 5 most popular Jordan shoes:
- Air Jordan 1: The Air Jordan 1 was the first signature shoe designed for Michael Jordan and was released in 1985. The shoe features a high-top silhouette with a Nike swoosh on the side and the iconic "Wings" logo on the ankle. It is considered one of the most important sneakers in sneaker history and remains one of the most popular Jordan shoes today.
- Air Jordan 11: The Air Jordan 11 was released in 1995 and is known for its sleek design and patent leather accents. The shoe features a low-top silhouette with a translucent outsole and was famously worn by Michael Jordan during the 1996 NBA playoffs. It is considered one of the most iconic Jordan shoes of all time.
- Air Jordan 3: The Air Jordan 3 was released in 1988 and was designed by Tinker Hatfield. The shoe features a mid-top silhouette with a visible Air unit in the heel and the iconic "elephant print" on the toe and heel. It was the first Jordan shoe to feature the Jumpman logo and has remained a popular design ever since.
- Air Jordan 4: The Air Jordan 4 was released in 1989 and was also designed by Tinker Hatfield. The shoe features a unique "wings" design on the side and a visible Air unit in the heel. It was worn by Michael Jordan during the 1989 NBA playoffs and has since become a beloved design among sneakerheads.
- Air Jordan 6: The Air Jordan 6 was released in 1991 and was worn by Michael Jordan during his first NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls. The shoe features a high-top silhouette with a visible Air unit in the heel and a unique "spoiler" design on the back. It has since become a popular design among basketball fans and sneakerheads alike.
- Air Jordan 1 (Shattered Backboard): The most expensive pair of Jordans ever sold was the Air Jordan 1s worn by Michael Jordan during an exhibition game in Italy in 1985. They sold for $615,000 at auction in 2020.
- Air Jordan 12 (Flu Game): The Air Jordan 12s that Michael Jordan wore during the famous "Flu Game" in the 1997 NBA Finals sold for $104,765 at auction in 2013.
- Air Jordan 12 (OVO): The Air Jordan 12s that were part of a collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake's clothing brand, OVO, sold for $100,000 at auction in 2020.
- Air Jordan 4 (Eminem): The Air Jordan 4s that were part of a collaboration with rapper Eminem's clothing brand, Shady Records, sold for $30,000 at auction in 2017.