The year was 1985 and a historic partnership was formed between basketball greatest basketball player of all time and arguably the greatest sports marketing company with the release of the Air Jordan I in the simple colorways of the Bulls home and away: white/black/red and b/r (the NBA fined MJ for not having enough white on his shoes and of course Nike stepped up to pay his fines gaining valuable media exposure in the process). The original Air Jordan One was an eclectic mix of other Nike basketball shoes: Nike Dunk, Terminator and Air Force 1 and what helped to set it apart in terms of leading edge sports marketing and branding was the classic 'Jordan Wings' logo which reminds you of flight and Mike soaring to the rim. The AJI is a simple, timeless shoe.
It's the classic original that was to begin the Jordan legacy; now while it's not recommended as a performance shoe by today's standards due to the paper thin sole it stood up compared with the other basketball shoes of its day. This shoe unsurprisingly has been retroed many times including the 2001 Retro+ that was cut a little lower with 9 lace holes instead of 8 and a stitched basketball on the heel; the 2002 version, instead of the giant side swoosh had a chrome jumpman and a clear outsole.
The AJI began the process next game along the AJII. Now the first big difference is that the AJ2 lacks the giant side swoosh; in fact one of the only commonalities is the Wings logo. It has a completed revamped upper with simple lines and upgraded materials.
On this model higher quality leathers were used and in combination with plastic on the heel counter and lace loops it had a more solid feel. The AJIIs were crafted in Italy and the Wings logo became an integral part of the main design. Remade in 1994, the Jordan II retro, like the Retro I came in a commemorative box with a retro card.
What happened next was revolutionary in terms of sneaker design, high performance basketball shoes and sports marketing. It was the release of the Air Jordan III and according to a recent poll; the AJIII is the most popular sneaker ever. The Air Jordan III was the first in so many ways; the first Air Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield, the 1st to have a visible air bubble, and the 1st to feature the jumpman as the main logo. The featured designs of the elephant print, sculpted midsole and lower profile were revolutionary and set the Air Jordan apart. In terms of looks and feel, by featuring a full grain and nubuck upper with synthetic leather elephant print, the AJIII set the bar far higher than its two predecessors. Technically speaking, by adding a polyurethane midsole and Visible Max Air bubble, the AJIII was and continues to be a top of the line shoe.
When the AJIV arrived on the scene the ties to the AJIII pertained to the advanced and comfortable midsole and the 'Nike Air' on the heel however the similarities ended there. The Jordan IV featured nubuck uppers for the first time along with the Black/Cement colorway. A thin plastic mesh is displayed on each of the 4 colorways and the triangle sidepiece and lace holders were also made from plastic. The tongue, just like Mike's very own trademark at the height of his powers, really set this shoe off; not only was the Jumpman there but also included was a 'Flight' script logo that added a touch more flavour.
With the arrival of the AJV seeing as how the AJ4 was a classic in its own right just like its predecessor it's not surprising that many of the best features were carried over. However there were noticeable differences such as lacelocks to prevent laces from coming undone during battle. Structurally, the Jordan V was designed to be a bit more supportive so it's a little higher cut than the IV with extra ankle padding. The release of the White/Grape Ice-New Emerald (Radical Purple and Green) shoe was the first time the Air Jordan was released in a non-traditional basketball colorway; another memorable detail was the stitched '23' on the traditional Black/Fire Red shoe. The style feature best remembered from this shoe was the tongue; made from 3M space-age fabrics, it reflected light. One of the more controversial features of the V was the clear rubber outsole; it was a cutting edge aesthetic design feature yet unfortunately inevitable yellowing somewhat tainted an otherwise great idea.
The AJVI appeared on the scene during an important era in the history of the NBA and professional sports. It is forever connected in our collective consciousness to MJ's first championship; I remember like it were yesterday watching Michael, wearing the Black/Infra Red 6s growing in confidence as a helpless Magic and his Lakers looked on with a mix of awe and appreciation. Besides the now classic Black/Infra Red the rest of the colorways for the IV were interesting to say the least and didn't really match the Bulls uniform. Noticeable tech/design differences on this shoe were a more sculpted midsole with more definition at the arch and an innovative new comfort feature emanating from a redesigned tongue minus the 3M fabric. The Jordan VI is the first one to include an inner bootie; the tongue forms the top of a slender neoprene sleeve which descends to the top of the foot, providing a form fit and snug feel.
As Michael revolutionized the game of basketball, Nike and Air Jordan continued to revolutionize the shoe game with the AJVII. Michael won his second championship in this shoe against the Blazers and who could forget the zone he got into when he sunk 6 threes in one half. The transition from AJ VI to AJ VII saw the departure of the words 'Nike Air' and Mars Blackmon. MJ after winning his second NBA title also won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 and his Olympic #9 was on the back of the shoe rather than #23. About the shoe itself it was at times lighter and at other times more comfortable than its predecessor. To make the best use possible of the inner boot it extended upwards and was equipped with a pull-tab while it hugged and contoured to your foot at the front. With the #23 imprinted on the back in plastic this Jordan was less heavy and more aerodynamic than its two direct predecessors and the thick ankle padding had been removed. The 7s were brought back in 2002 then retroed once more on short notice in 2004.
Andy has been a sneaker aficionado for many years. Check out more great sneaker write ups at http://www.chicksinkicks.com
CIK also has Real Nike Jordans for sale in the CIK sneaker store.
