Saturday, May 4, 2024

Air Jordan 1 History Lesson Podcasts, Footwear News & Sneaker Culture

who design air jordan 1

When the designers for the next game shoe wanted to study how the foot in motion would react to Jordan's cross-step, they had basketball players lace up paint-covered pairs of the Air Jordan 29. 30 Years and BeyondThe Air Jordan 1 has now been in existence for thirty years, leaving behind an ever-expanding legacy unmatched by any other sneaker in the world. What started as Nike being in the right place at the right time helped turn the brand into the powerhouse it is today, and propelled the entire sneaker industry to heights that it may never have reached without Michael Jordan and his bold black and red shoes. Most Original Colorways of any Air JordanThe Air Jordan 1 has the most original colorways of any Air Jordan model still to this day. The three Chicago Bulls friendly colorways—“Chicago”, “Bred”, and “Black Toes”—were the only ones you ever saw MJ wearing on court, but a plethora of other looks released including the Black/Royal, “Carolina”, and the many “Metallic” colorways. The landscape was more receptive to classic sneakers in 2001, thanks in large part to the proliferation of “throwback” jerseys from Mitchell & Ness, the next time an Air Jordan 1 Retro released.

Air Jordan 1 High OG Green Glow DZ5485-130 - Sneaker Bar Detroit

Air Jordan 1 High OG Green Glow DZ5485-130.

Posted: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Watch: How Nike's dad shoes became an iconic sneaker

A basketball with wings featured the words “Air Jordan,” playing off Michael’s athletic ability and Nike’s Air Technology. Although Moore may have thought he pulled off a slam dunk, it wasn’t the case. But the Air Jordan 39 strives to better involve the man who originally inspired the sneakers. It’s also focused literally on helping basketball players change direction on the court. And the model is intended to be pared down, more simplistic than recent Air Jordan mainline entries.

Original (or “OG”) Colorways

Before the rise of technology, people would camp outside of sneaker stores like Foot Locker, who sold the shoes on a first-come, first-serve basis, reminiscent of Black Friday sales. But there have been countless headlines of violence and murder emerging from sneaker releases. For some, it came down to, as Sports Illustrated quoted, “Your Sneakers or Your Life.” A life for a pair of some Air Jordan’s.

Peter Moore, designer of the Air Jordan 1 and Nike's iconic Jumpman logo, dies

This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Jordan, aside from his historic athletic achievements, NBA Championships, and Olympic wins, is considered the greatest of all time. Jordan and his classic shoe represent a cultural and sociological tipping point in society that was so needed in 1984 and even today. 39 years later, Jordan 1 still symbolizes all these things for me, but has now become iconic for so many people globally.

Virgil Abloh’s Best Sneaker Designs

who design air jordan 1

And I must’ve been the flyest kid in the seventh grade, even with the dress code in place. Some sneakerheads don’t view these shoes as stocks, and some don’t even wear them because they regard the shoes as cultural artifacts. Whether it be the rarest shoe on Earth, or from a childhood memory, or representative of a special moment in sports–some shoes carry a strong historical significance that sneakerheads want to preserve. A shoe that Jordan took flight in, dominated the NBA in, and, of course, got banned by the NBA at the time. The reissuing of the Jordan I flip-flopped as much as Jordan’s career itself.

What’s the last new model shoe you picked up?

At the time, Nike had released its new innovation for running shoes, called the Air soles, which placed air in the soles for cushioning. This technology was conceived in 1977 by aeronautical engineer Frank Rudy. Nike’s creative designer, Peter Moore, took on the challenge of designing Michael Jordan’s signature shoe, which started with the Air Jordan logo.

Growing up, when I was just heading into the seventh grade, I needed a new pair of shoes that would adhere to my school’s dress code policies. So my mom and I went to the local mall, where she picked out and bought me a pair of all-black, mid-cut Air Jordan 1’s at the store Sheik. Neither of us knew about anything of its history or significance, yet my mom still somehow managed to pick out the most impactful shoe in sneaker culture for a boy who was in love with basketball. There must’ve been something magical about the allure of the Air Jordan 1.

Air Jordan 1 Origin Story

Pushing boundaries from the get-go, Jordan wore a primarily black and red Air Ship in a preseason game against the New York Knicks on October 18, 1984. As the story goes, Jordan would be fined $5,000 every time he wore a non-color-code-compliant sneaker on the court, with Nike picking up the tab. When it came to basketball shoes, the colors were almost always an accent color that was added to a mostly white sneaker. In 1984, most NBA regulation basketball sneakers were simply all black or all white. Moore pushed this idea by creating Jordan 1 in red, black, and white—the Chicago Bulls colors. Bold and braggadocious, the Jordan 1, like the player who wore them, received a lot of attention.

who design air jordan 1

He started drawing the wings on a napkin and put the basketball in the middle of it. In truly a legendary fashion, what started as a quick sketch on a napkin while sitting with Strasser, went on to become the iconic Air Jordan ‘Wings’ logo that we know and love today. The design of the Jordan 1 was inspired by the Air Force 1, another iconic sneaker designed by Bruce Kilgore for Nike.

The Air Force 1 was the first sneaker to feature Nike’s Air technology, which provided cushioning and comfort to the wearer. The Air Force 1 was a massive success and became a cultural icon in its own right. Peter Moore wanted to create a sneaker that would appeal to basketball players and sneakerheads alike, and the Air Force 1 provided the perfect inspiration for the design of the Jordan 1.

It wasn’t until Jordan returned, and retired, and returned again, in 2001, that the Jordan I was reissued. Jordan himself would eventually retire in 2003, and Jordan Brand would retire the Jordan I in 2004. Having received a letter from NBA commissioner Russ Granik stating that the Air Ship did not adhere to the 51% rule, Jordan was told that he would be fined $5,000 every time that he wore the shoes on the court.

Air Jordan 1 Low Method of Make "Perfect Pink" Now Available (April 2024) - Sneaker Bar Detroit

Air Jordan 1 Low Method of Make "Perfect Pink" Now Available (April .

Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 17:37:15 GMT [source]

Soon after the wildly successful campaign of the Air Jordan 1’s, began a line of Jordan shoes that continued the legacy of Air Jordan from the original Jordan 1 up all the way to the Jordan 31, which in fact was a different take on the “Banned” 1’s. However, some would argue that Jordan Brand continued its dominance into the present due to notable Jordan 1 retros (re-releasing of original shoes) and Jordan 1 collaborations with different designers, artists, and brands. Ugly or not, the "banned" controversy gave Nike's marketing team space to push the shoes as an act of rebellion, and sales flew through the roof. The Nike deal got signed and the shoes went into development, soon to be named Air Jordan ("Prime Time" was another option that never panned out). Along with the $2.5 million over five years, Jordan also received royalties for every Air Jordan sneaker sold (originally $65 a pair). Jordan had no interest in Nike and practically had to be dragged to the company's presentation in Beaverton, Oregon.

Back then, NBA players wore primarily white sneakers with one additional color to match their team's jersey. It was a team game, and it was understood that on-court sneakers shouldn't be too flashy. While contract negotiations were progressing with the Bulls, Nike was working on its own deal with Jordan. The story is complex and much-disputed, but as told by Sonny Vaccaro, a shady marketing agent who signed up college basketball coaches to Nike, he convinced Swoosh marketing director Rob Strasser that Jordan was worth signing at any cost. Soon after the release of the Air Jordan I, David Stern (Commissioner of the NBA), banned the most popular shoe of the decade to be worn by MJ. Every time Michael stepped on the court with a pair he would have to pay a couple thousand dollars.

The answer is Peter Moore, the first Creative Director for Nike who designed the Jordan 1. As the legend goes, in a meeting in Washington with Nike executives, David Falk (Jordan’s agent) suggested the name Air Jordan because of Michael’s ability to gracefully soar through the air while making his famous dunk shots. So the shoe’s references, the fine details that allude to the Jordan 9, are subtle. The flexible polyurethane on the tongue, a tactile bit that begs to be thumbed over, is supposed to evoke the Jumpman globe icon on the back of the Jordan 9. That shoe’s side perforations are borrowed for the Jordan 39 and flipped as triangles, made to look like two turn signals on the vamp that represent the wearer changing direction.

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