The shoe industry hasn’t been the same since the Air Jordan basketball shoes were created. Nike released the first Air Jordans in 1985. Before Nike released the first Air Jordan shoe, it was a struggling company. At the time, the rookie Michael Jordan was already endorsing several products and was ready to make a deal with Converse. However, Converse was already being endorsed by Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and coach Dean Smith. Converse figured it didn’t need Jordan because it already had major appeal to the masses. Jordan initially didn’t want to sign with Nike, but his agent, David Falk, saw a golden opportunity. Nike offered a new shoe line called “Air Jordans” and Falk insisted Jordan take the deal.

Nike saw something special in Michael Jordan and decided to take a chance on him. After being persuaded by his parents and his agent, Jordan agreed to fly out to Nike’s headquarters in Portland and talk business. Later on, Jordan confessed that he went out to Portland with no intentions of signing with Nike. After viewing a special video presentation filled with clips of Jordan’s spectacular dunks and jump shots with the Pointer Sisters song “Jump” song in the background, Jordan signed with Nike.

The introduction of the Air Jordan 1 turned the shoe industry upside down and the NBA as well. Since the shoes’ colors were a bold black and red, the NBA banned the shoe and fined Jordan $5000 a game for each time he wore the shoe. Nike, of course, was willing to pay the fine to keep the shoes on Jordan’s feet and in the public eye. The controversy helped Jordan and Nike to become household names.

After winning the Slam Dunk competition in 1987, the Air Jordan logo changed to the Jumpman logo you see on the shoes today. However, when the Air Jordan 2s came out, Jordan was not happy with the cost of the shoes. It was around this time that shoe designer Tinker Hatfield stepped up to the plate and furthermore changed the face of the shoe industry. His first step was to sit down and talk with Michael one on one talk about how he felt about the design. Jordan’s father advised his son to stay with Nike and work with them. Eventually the process of designing the shoes and matching apparel drew Jordan in and helped reinforce his commitment to Nike.

The Air Jordan shoe moved in a new direction in 1997 when Nike agreed to stop designing the shoe with the Nike swoosh sign appearing on them, and instead, they created a Jordan sub-brand of Nike.

Air Jordan shoes have become the everlasting symbol of basketball shoes around the world. Some wonder when the Air Jordan line will be retired while others speculate that, in honor of the man, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII (Jordan 23). No matter what happens to the signature Air Jordan line, the brand and its tradition of quality, high-fashion basketball and athletic shoes will continue long after Air Jordans have retired.

- John A. Roberts

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Tags | Air Jordan shoes, Basketball, michael jordan, NBA, Nike