Andrew Pace
The Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes and athletic wear produced by Nike, inspired by and named after Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The shoes were first produced for Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and were released to the public in 1985. The Air Jordan I was designed with the Chicago Bulls' colours of red and black, which violated the NBA's uniformity rule, resulting in fines that only added to the shoe's publicity and demand. The Jumpman logo, a silhouette of Jordan, has become one of the most recognisable logos in athletics and is featured on various Jordan Brand products. Today, the Jordan Brand continues to release new shoe models and collaborate with prominent athletes and artists, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Nike.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brand | Nike |
| Shoe Line | Air Jordan |
| Shoe Designer | Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore |
| Logo | Jumpman |
| Logo Origin | Photograph by Jacobus Rentmeester |
| Logo Inspiration | Michael Jordan's pose in a Life magazine issue |
| Shoe Colors | Red, black, and white |
| Shoe Colors Rule | NBA policy mandated shoes to be 51% white |
| Shoe Colors Fine | $5,000 per game |
| Shoe Colors Fine Payor | Nike |
| Shoe Colors Fine Impact | Increased publicity and iconic brand status |
| Shoe Colors Fine Amount (2024) | $15,000 per game |
| Shoe Models | Jordan Luka 4, Jordan Luka 1, Jordan Luka 2, Jordan Tatum 1, Jordan React Elevation |
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What You'll Learn
The 'Jumpman' logo
The Jumpman logo is a silhouette of Michael Jordan, the former NBA player and current owner of the Charlotte Hornets. It captures Jordan's gravity-defying grace, with legs split and a basketball in hand. The logo was inspired by a ballet move known as the grand jeté.
The Jumpman logo was first used on the tongue of the Air Jordan 3 sneaker in 1988, marking a significant shift in the branding of the Air Jordan line. It was designed by Tinker Hatfield, an architect and footwear designer, who was tasked with improving the relationship between Michael Jordan and Nike. The logo was inspired by a photoshoot Jordan did for Life magazine in 1984 before he played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The photographer, Jacobus (or Co) Rentmeester, sued Nike for copyright infringement, claiming they copied his photograph. However, the courts ruled in favour of Nike, stating that while the photo inspired the logo, it did not constitute a direct copy.
The Jumpman logo has since become one of the most recognizable logos in the athletics industry, adorning not just sneakers but a wide range of apparel, including hats, socks, and sports uniforms. It has been described as a cultural icon and a symbol of excellence, innovation, and the rebellious spirit of Michael Jordan. The logo has been at the centre of memorable collaborations and limited editions and has transcended language and geography to become a universal symbol of basketball.
The Jumpman logo continues to grace the latest Air Jordan models, paying homage to the brand's rich heritage. It has also been featured on the uniforms of various sports teams, including the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Michigan Wolverines, the University of Florida Gators, and the UCLA Bruins. In 2018, French association football team Paris Saint-Germain added the Jumpman logo to their UEFA Champions League kits.
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The banned advertisement
The Air Jordan 1 sneaker was released by Nike in April 1985. The shoe was designed by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore. It was created for basketball player Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players of all time, who played for the Chicago Bulls. The shoe was designed with the team's colours, red and black, but this violated the NBA's strict policy that shoes must be 51% white.
The NBA fined Jordan $5000 per game for wearing the shoes, but Nike agreed to pay the fines, and this act of defiance became part of the shoe's iconic brand image. The shoe sold out at 50,000 pairs and generated more than $150 million in sales.
Nike took full advantage of the marketing opportunity, creating an advertisement that played on the shoe's controversial status. The ad copy read: "On September 15th, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can't keep you from wearing them. Air Jordan. From Nike." This advertisement is often referred to as "The Banned Advertisement".
The shoe's success was also due in part to Jordan's incredible talent and popularity. His unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability, and competitive desire made him a global cultural icon. The Jumpman logo, featuring Jordan in a grand jeté pose, also contributed to the shoe's iconic status, becoming one of the most recognizable logos in athletics.
The Air Jordan 1 sneaker and its subsequent advertisement played a significant role in popularizing the NBA and basketball worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s. The shoe's design, the story behind the NBA fines, and the talent of Michael Jordan himself all contributed to the shoe's legendary status and its impact on basketball culture.
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The shoe's design
The Air Jordan is a line of basketball and sportswear shoes produced by Nike, created for former NBA player and five-time MVP Michael Jordan. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for Jordan on November 17, 1984, and released to the public on April 1, 1985. The shoes were designed by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.
The shoes were designed with the Chicago Bulls' colours of red and black, with only 23% white, which violated the NBA's policy that shoes must be 51% white. Nike agreed to pay the $5,000 fine per game (equivalent to $15,000 today) for Jordan to wear the shoes, which garnered significant publicity and controversy. This defiance of NBA regulations contributed to the iconic status of the Air Jordan brand.
The "Jumpman" logo, one of the most recognisable logos in athletics, originated from a photograph by Jacobus Rentmeester of Jordan replicating a grand jeté ballet pose while wearing his Bulls uniform and Nike Air Jordan shoes. The logo has since undergone changes and can be seen on sneakers, attire, hats, socks, and other forms of wear.
The Air Jordan line has continued to innovate with new designs, such as the Jordan Spiz'ike shoes, released in 2006 as a tribute to Michael Jordan and Spike Lee's relationship. The brand has also collaborated with popular artists and signed deals with professional basketball players to promote the shoes.
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The Jordan Brand
The "Jumpman" logo has become one of the most recognisable logos in the athletics industry. It originated from a photoshoot Michael Jordan did for Life magazine, where he posed in a manner identical to the grand jeté ballet technique while holding a basketball and wearing his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes. The logo has since gone through various changes and can be seen on sneakers, attire, hats, socks, and other forms of wear.
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The shoe's colour scheme
The Air Jordan sneaker line, produced by Nike, was first launched in 1985 with the Air Jordan I. The shoe was designed by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore, and its colour scheme was inspired by the Chicago Bulls' team colours of red and black. However, with only 23% white, the shoe violated the NBA's policy that shoes must be 51% white. Nike agreed to pay the $5,000 fine per game (equivalent to $15,000 today), which resulted in both controversy and publicity for the shoe.
The Air Jordan I "Banned" advertisement took advantage of this controversy, using the slogan: "On September 15th, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can't keep you from wearing them. Air Jordan. From Nike." The shoe sold out at 50,000 pairs, generating over $150 million in sales.
The Jumpman logo, which has become one of the most recognisable logos in athletics, originated from a 1984 photoshoot Michael Jordan did for Life magazine. The photographer, Co Rentmeester, captured Jordan posing in a manner identical to the grand jeté ballet technique, wearing his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes. This pose was later replicated for the "Jumpman" logo, with Jordan wearing his Bulls uniform and Nike Air Jordan shoes.
The Jordan Brand has continued to innovate and release new shoe models, with the Jordan Spiz'ike shoes released in 2006 as a tribute to Michael Jordan and Spike Lee's relationship. The brand has also collaborated with popular artists and athletes, such as Spike Lee and Trae Young, to create signature shoes and apparel.
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Frequently asked questions
Jordan basketballs are a brand of basketball shoes, athletic, casual, and style clothing produced by Nike. They were created for former NBA player and 5-time NBA MVP Michael Jordan.
The original Air Jordan sneakers were produced in the Chicago Bulls' team colours of red and black, with only 23% white, which violated the NBA's policy. The "Jumpman" logo, which can be seen on the sneakers, originated from a photograph of Michael Jordan taken before he played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Some of the most played basketball shoes in the Jordan Brand include the Air Jordan 36, Air Jordan 39, Jordan Luka 1, Jordan Luka 2, and Jordan React Elevation shoes.
