Michael Jordan.
I continue to marvel at the mega sensational popularity that the sneakers have enjoyed for decades. In their prime, the Air Jordan was a major force of fashion that its potential owners just had to have. They debuted in the Spring of 1985, just months into Jordan's rookie season in the NBA and days prior to his 22nd birthday. From the start, the red and black kicks created a commotion. Due to their color scheme, the NBA banned them for not having enough white in them. Jordan, who was garnering constant headlines of praise for his brilliant and stylish play on the basketball court defiantly continued wearing the shoes in games. The NBA fined him, and Nike Inc. gladly paid the $5000 per game fine since the controversy gave the epochal footwear oodles of priceless publicity that resulted in a huge spark in public interest and sales.
The Air Jordan was the first sneaker to successfully become a major fashion accessory. Until the release of the first shoe, sneakers were regarded as an afterthought; something worn leisurely or to perform chores in. The look of the shoe didn't matter as much as its comfort. Even as NBA superstars Larry Bird, Dr. J and Magic Johnson starred in ads for Converse in the early 1980's, athletic shoes continued having a low profile. By 1990, the Air Jordan was a certified icon which matched Michael himself, who by then had been the most dominant and dazzling hoopster in the game for six seasons.
This is when I became fascinated by the shoes.
The golden age of Air Jordan was 1988 to 1998. During that time, Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships and he personally won NBA Finals MVP all six times. He also won 9 of his record 10 NBA scoring championships and became an international icon. The Air Jordan IV was famously given a scene in the 1989 Spike Lee film, Do the Right Thing and the design of the Air Jordan V was inspired by the "bat boot" in Batman.
It remains an indelible memory of mine watching dozens of guys (and girls) discuss the "new Jordans" back in junior high-school and high-school. Guys used to deal drugs just to be able to afford the controversial and outlandish price tag of the shoes. They'd cut school or come late just to be at the mall to drop $125 for the "new J's" as they were popularly called. I wanted a pair so bad, but my mother couldn't afford them. Even still, I found ways to get a few pair...legally, and I always felt awesome wearing them which remains true to this day. That was an interesting quality of the shoes: they had the power to boost a person's morale or self confidence...and they were always gawked at and fawned over. People wanted to know what the bottom of the shoes looked like! That's mostly because of the 1990 edition, which featured a clear rubber outsole with the ubiquitous Air Jordan logo encased inside, which acted as sort of a window. Will Smith famously wore that edition in the opening credits of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and throughout the series' first season. He also wore ensuing editions of Jordans as the show progressed.
Nike revolutionized the athletic footwear industry in a way that its rivals could not. Because of their ingenious advertising strategies coupled with Michael's stunning accomplishments in pro basketball, the Air Jordan possessed an awesome aura. The shoes had style and personality. They were brash and intimidating. They were mythical and elite. Since Michael wore them all the time, they became co-stars in all of his historic sports moments. "The Shot" in 1989 over the Cavs' Craig Ehlo featured Jordan knocking in a double-pump jumper at the buzzer, but on his feet are the black and gray Air Jordan IV. He's wearing the Air Jordan V 10 months later in the same building against the same team when he flew for a career best 69 points and 18 rebounds.
It's the Air Jordan VI that MJ rocked while leading the Bulls to their 1st NBA title in 1991. In the 1992 U.S. Summer Olympics, Jordan sported a special edition, white, red, blue and gold version of the Air Jordan VII. It was during his comeback from a brief retirement in 1995 that Michael first unveiled the instantly fawned over Air Jordan XI six months before their official release. That model was a simple, white sneaker trimmed in black patent leather. Nearly 15 years later, that edition is considered to be the best ever installment. When the Bulls capped off their historic 72-10 season with their 4th NBA title of the decade in 1996, Jordan collapsed to the floor of the United Center in unbridled jubilation, mobbed by teammate Randy Brown and clutching the historic basketball. Very prominent in the scene is the snazzy black with polished black patent leather Air Jordan XI's with a clean white and red midsole on his feet.
They look...beautiful!
The Air Jordan XII was on Michael's feet a year later during the famous "flu game" on June 11, 1997. A year after that, Michael sported a pair of J's from the future when he knocked down the title winning jumper over Utah's Byron Russell. From the future in this case means he was wearing the Air Jordan XIV a year early, possibly because he knew he'd never get to wear them in an actual game due to his expected retirement. Indeed, Michael hit the winning shot in those 1999 edition shoes, then retired before the start of the lockout-shortened '98-'99 season.
Jordan's immense popularity and the financial windfall it created for both he and Nike was enough to convince the athletic footwear company to give MJ his own division. In 1997, the Jordan Brand debuted and made its presence even more prominent in the NBA and other sports. Its signature sneaker remained the Air Jordan and admittedly, the designed and popularity of them waned as the 2000's commenced. I attribute much of that to Jordan's absence from the court and mostly to a major drop off in "sexy design." Early on, the Jordan's had a very edgy and stylish aesthetic. In the past decade, they have flopped consistently in the design department even as their inner technology has become more sophisticated.
Even when Michael returned to the league in the autumn of 2001, the shoes appeared uninspired and washed up. The Air Jordan XVII debuted in February 2002 in all white and trimmed in blue and black. They were based on the team colors of the lowly Washington Wizards, whom MJ returned to play for. They also came in an aluminum brief case and retailed for an astounding $200. The 20th edition, released in 2005 seemed to "try too hard" and it ended up being a laugher. I actually liked the XXI's and XXII's and I even own a pair of each. They both amaze me at the ambitious and intricate craftsmanship that they possess. I wanted a pair of the XX3's, but I never got them. They wound up being the final, numbered pair of Air Jordan's since "23" was his uniform number. Beginning with the 24th edition in 2009, the iconic sneakers would be identified by year. The '09's were by far the worst edition in history and looked nothing like an Air Jordan shoe.
Now the 2010 model.
From the beginning, I loved the look of the 2010 Air Jordan. I even had to drive 100 miles round trip to get mine yesterday because nowhere local had any in stock. Michael and his team have decided to use a current NBA star to wear the shoe in games just as Michael himself would do if he were still playing. Currently, Miami Heat star guard Dwyane Wade is the designated "wearer." Jordan, who turns 47 this week remains closely involved with the shoe's design and development and continues to embody greatness, even a dozen years removed from his last championship.
Over 25 amazing years, the Air Jordan has personified elegance and ambition in the subtlest of ways. They long ago became a cultural phenomenon, which is just one more touchstone of Michael Jordan's legend that will never go away as long as people continue to have feet.
And I'll always treasure them.
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