In the late 1980s, Nike was struggling to compete with the dominant athletic shoe brands of the time. That all changed in 1984 when a young basketball player from North Carolina named Michael Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Nike saw an opportunity to launch a new line of basketball shoes with Jordan as their star. What they didn’t know was that those shoes, the Air Jordans, would revolutionize the sneaker industry and turn Nike into the powerhouse it is today. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how Michael Jordan and the Air Jordans launched nerdy Nike into the stratosphere.
Nike’s cultural cachet has been demonstrated through the meteoric rise of the Nike brand as a sportswear powerhouse now valued at more than £26bn. Its Air Jordan brand has a significant role to play in this rise. Originally designed to be signifiers of sporting success, these shoes have extended their influence beyond basketball courts and into the worlds of music, fashion, and even politics. The brand was launched as a collaboration with the best basketball player of his generation Michael Jordan and is recognised by the silhouetted image of Jordan in mid-flight, the “Jumpman” logo. Now worn by “winners” across different industries and continents, Air Jordans are loved and cherished by many, including superstar rapper Drake and football players Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.
The Air Jordan has transformed Nike’s fortunes, selling $100m worth of trainers and clothing in 1986 alone. It has become central to what is known as “sneakerhead culture”, with the rarest iterations selling for more than a million dollars at auction. In 2021, the Jordan brand generated $4.8bn in revenue. Stories of Nike before Air Jordan, however, were not always so illustrious. The recent movie Air, directed by Ben Affleck, portrays Nike’s story in the pre-Jordan era, telling the tale of the game-changing 1984 deal between Nike and Jordan.
Though Nike was not officially involved with the movie, it will be pleased with the portrayal of the company. Positioned at the center of the hero’s journey, Nike’s history and sneakers created have a life of their own. Even if the white, middle-aged men in polo necks in Nike’s headquarters did not have style credibility in the past, the sneakers they created have become one of the most significant cultural icons today.
In conclusion, Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike is a prime example of how an athlete’s influence can propel a brand to new heights. Walking on air, the Air Jordans became a cultural phenomenon and sparked a global sneaker craze that is still going strong today. Beyond the footwear, Jordan’s collaboration with Nike paved the way for a new era of athlete-brand partnerships that continue to shape the sports industry. The Air Jordans will forever be a testament to the power of innovation, creativity, and the unbreakable bond between an athlete and their fans.
