Air Jordan

The series currently enjoys an undisputed cult following. But, how exactly did it come about? What does the figure behind the shoes have to do with its success? You can definitely expect an interesting story!

The fascinating thing about Air Jordan shoes is the incredible story behind every single model in the range. It is always a lot of fun to put yourself "in the shoes" of the shoes' very own history. It can be quite difficult to find a worthy beginning for the whole story.

The origin of the whole success story lies with an unknown college rookie who initially wanted to prove himself in the NBA under all circumstances. The talk of the town was none other than the great Michael Jordan himself. MJ delivered totally sick results during his college time and impressed countless scouts for the NBA.

But, even off the field, Jordan achieved what was seemingly unattainable. Before Michael was even drafted by a team, he had already signed a contract with Nike - a decision that probably no one at the label with the Swoosh would ever regret. Interestingly, other popular shoe brands didn't take much interest in signing MJ. Pretty bad decision!

The very first Air Jordan saw the light of day in 1984 and were initially an exclusive for Michael Jordan himself. Of course, they were designed in the team colours of the Chicago Bulls and already convinced with the red/black colour combination back then.

But, if you are now a little familiar with the rules of the NBA at that time, you certainly know about one very specific rule. At that time, only the colours that were found on the sneakers of the other team members could be worn on the shoes. These were usually either completely black or white. The adapted sneakers for the number 23 were simply too colourful for the NBA. Jordan risked paying fines of $5,000 every game, which grew even bigger over time.

Wearing his personalized Air Jordans, Michael never even dreamed of stopping. And, you wouldn't believe how much attention he attracted because of that. In just about every game, it was reported that Jordan blew the whistle on the rules again and again yet still continued to play in his beloved shoes. Even on U.S. television, there were countless reports about MJ and his sneakers. So, if that's not a huge marketing success, we're at a loss right here. So much "free" advertising and publicity played into the Swoosh label's cards. Very soon, Nike would turn out to be quite the dominating force in the basketball shoe industry and thus outshine all of its opponents.

You simply can't deny it: Michael Jordan started a cult following with his shoes and catapulted the Swoosh brand all the way to the top spot.

The more that MJ became the finest basketball player ever, the more successful his Air Jordans became. His sneakers weren't just simple footwear but a true status symbol. Fans all over the world had only one brand in mind and they all wanted to get a pair at any cost. It is said that the hype in the USA even went so far as crimes being committed in order to get hold of the highly coveted AJs. So, if you have something to say about hypebeasts nowadays, you should first consider what it was like in MJ's time.

You would think that all the hype in the '80s and '90s can no longer be felt, but you are definitely mistake. Even until today, the Air Jordan is still considered one of the most successful sneakers of all time, which is not only worn by basketball fans but almost every living sneakerhead. Nike continues to break sales records with the AJ and manages to thrill its fans all the time. Meanwhile, there are countless models and variations of the Air Jordan, so it is almost impossible to list them all. A lot of retros and limited editions still make the sneakerheads stay overnight at retail shops just to get a pair. This is why you should always keep an eye on possible releases, so that you're sure to get them in time.

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