When Michael Jordan shoes first arrived, Air Jordans became hugely popular. There were so many people who wanted these shoes so badly that there were often fights over them. People would indulge in fights about who would get these most popular shoes on the planet first.
Origin of shoes
Popular basketball player Michael Jordan signed a contract with international shoe brand Nike in 1984 to endorse a particular series of Nike basketball shoes – the Nike Air Jordans. Besides Michael, there were other athletes too who endorsed the brand, such as Carmelo Anthony, and Roy Jones Jr. Air Jordans were the shoes that built Nike as they had been struggling with many things before they could make Michael Jordan sign the shoe deal. The contract happened because of Michael Jordan’s manager; otherwise, the deal would have never taken place because Jordan himself preferred wearing the shoes by Adidas and Converse.
The Jordan Deal
The initial deal for the Nike Air Jordan shoes was 2.5 million dollars, plus royalties and other benefits for five years. The first series of Nike Air Jordan went for a price tag of $65. The National Basketball Association (NBA) banned Michael Jordan from wearing red and black shoes by handing out a fine of $5000 per game. However, Nike did not want to let go of this valuable contract. Nike paid the fines and made Michael Jordan’s feet shod with the shoes. This kept the public get more attracted to get the same pair or similar ones for their personal use.
Banning story
Michael Jordan was fined for wearing these Air Jordans in National Basketball Association. The reason behind this ban and the penalty was that they broke the uniform rules for the whole league. While Nike did pay the fines to retain the advertisement, they went a step further in their campaign with Michael Jordan. Their aim became marketing the shoes as a sort of forbidden fruit, therefore enhancing their appeal.
Logo
The Nike Air Jordan logo changed to the current logo that features the Jumpman after Jordan won the 1986-87 Slam Dunk competition. At that time, the price of the Air Jordans went from $60 to $100 a pair. By the 3rd year, Michael Jordan wanted to end the contract. This made Tinker Harfield speak face-to-face with Jordan. As a result, Michael Jordan decided to let the contract continue, and the rest is history.
While the popularity of these banded Air Jordans was partly due to its extra buttery touch, Nike decided to hit the top. As a result, they made a super-limited version of Nike Air Jordans, which comes with a top made completely from satin. These pair of shoes even came with matching accessories such as sports apparel.
The new pair of shoes might not have the same durability as of the earlier version, but the price is quite hefty due to that luxurious satin. You may be amazed to learn that Nike Air Jordan 1 Sating can even resell for approximately $2000.
