Every legend has its beginnings. In the world of footwear, that legend begins with the Air Jordan 1. For Michael Jordan’s rookie year, Nike decided to create a signature shoe for their budding star. Controversy immediately followed. The color blocking on the initial colorway, black and red, violated NBA uniform rules. Jordan was told he would be unable to play in the shoes lest he pay a $5000 fine every time he stepped on the court. It would come to be known as the Jordan shoe “ban”. This “ban” immediately made the shoe iconic. Nike took the ban and created a marketing campaign around it, catapulting the Jordan 1 into the pop culture world. What was simply a signature shoe for a rookie was now a symbol for brash defiance.
When they eventually hit retail towards the end of the 1985 basketball season, people were outraged to find out that the shoes cost a staggering $65, easily the most expensive shoe on the market. Not even Nike had planned for the shoe to be popular, only expecting to sell around 100,000 pairs upon release. Nike went on to sell $55 million worth of the shoe. Seemingly overnight the Air Jordan 1 became the most popular shoe in America, selling out at almost every retailer. Its popularity would only grow as Jordan would don the shoe for the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, which he would go on to win. With that, the Jordan 1 officially cemented its place in both footwear and pop-culture history.
The Jordan 1 was my own introduction into the world of footwear. I can vividly remember walking into the mall and seeing the Jordan 1 emblazoned on a banner outside of the shoe store. My eyes gleamed. Even at the age of six, I knew I needed them. That opportunity wouldn’t come around for another six years, when I got my first pair of Jordan 1s from a thrift store. I felt as if I had won the lottery. That single pair of shoes sparked a passion for sneakers that has yet to flicker. All it took was one pair to change my life.
Ask anybody to name the most iconic shoe of all time. Without a doubt, it will be the Jordan 1. This single shoe turned the world on its head, catapulting sneakers into the mainstream. It became a goal, something for people to aspire to. It made a statement. Luckily for us, that statement will likely last forever.
