Air Jordan 1 "Bred"
In 1985, Michael Jordan received his first signature shoe, the Air Jordan 1 and 35 years later, it is still the one.
Before Jordan became recognized by his last name only, Nike was looking for a player in the 1984 draft that could become the face of their brand. Phil Knight tasked Sonny Vaccaro with identifying who from the draft was a future star with the ability to sell. According to Slamonline, Jordan wasn't crazy about Nike and was known to wear Converse while at the University of North Carolina (UNC). However, he had to admit, "Air Jordan" had a nice ring to it.
It was Peter Moore's job along with Rob Strasser to convince Jordan that joining Nike was the right move and that they had the right shoe, and if you watched Tinker Hatfield's Abstract episode, Jordan knew what he liked.
In 1985, Michael Jordan received his first signature shoe, the Air Jordan 1 and 35 years later, it is still the one.
Before Jordan became recognized by his last name only, Nike was looking for a player in the 1984 draft that could become the face of their brand. Phil Knight tasked Sonny Vaccaro with identifying who from the draft was a future star with the ability to sell. According to Slamonline, Jordan wasn't crazy about Nike and was known to wear Converse while at the University of North Carolina (UNC). However, he had to admit, "Air Jordan" had a nice ring to it.
It was Peter Moore's job along with Rob Strasser to convince Jordan that joining Nike was the right move and that they had the right shoe, and if you watched Tinker Hatfield's Abstract episode, Jordan knew what he liked.
Moore says that the 1 looks almost "rudimentary" when compared to performance basketball shoes today. However, it was Jordan's request to make a slimmer airbag in the midsole because he wanted to feel the court. The 1 reflects the technology players played in. E.g The Converse Weapon, the PUMA Clyde or The Converse All-Stars.
Today, sneakers on the court are loud but back then most players were wearing either black or white shoes. Moore proposed more colourful options and it was decided that Jordan would wear the Chicago Bulls uniform colours, red, black and white. While waiting for the shoes to be ready, Jordan wore the "Air Ship" in the same colour and after a pre-season game, the NBA commissioner called foul and banned the shoes.
Nike being Nike or Wieden&Kennedy being Wieden&Kennedy took the opportunity to help sell the Jordan 1 upon release. In a short video, a camera slowly pans down Jordan's body while he bounces a ball. "On September 15th, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game." At this point, the camera reaches the shoes and black bars are placed over them. "Fortunately, the NBA can't stop you from wearing them."
- Stampsolector
