Air Jordan

Air Jordan is a yearly set of sneakers released by Brand Jordan, a NIKE, Inc. subsidiary. Created for six-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan in 1984, the Air Jordan line debuted at retail in 1985 with the Jordan 1. Currently releasing the Jordan 38 with eyes towards the successor Jordan 39, the sub-label is the most popular athlete-specific sneaker line ever created. Designers have included Peter Moore, Bruce Kilgore, Wilson Smith III, Tate Kuerbis, and Tinker Hatfield, who’s credited for 21 of 38 models.

While rooted in performance basketball, Jordans – in particular models between the Jordan 1 and Jordan 14 – have enjoyed widespread adoption in the lifestyle and casual wear spaces. Brand Jordan reissued the set’s first sneaker in 1994 during Jordan’s first retirement from the NBA. Subsequent years have seen hundreds of old and new retros, be they individual releases or as larger collections or sets (i.e. “Defining Moments Pack,” “Countdown Pack,” “Bin 23”). Retros of the Jordan 3, Jordan 4, Jordan 5, and Jordan 6 typically stir controversy depending on whether they feature “NIKE”/”NIKE AIR” branding like their “OG” counterparts or modernized “JORDAN” and Jumpman logos. Nevertheless, the retro line is alive and well all the same, having helped its parent company achieve its first $1 billion revenue quarter in the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. (The brand’s best-selling release of all-time was 2019’s Jordan 11 “Bred”.)

Outside of general release pairs, Air Jordan collabs remain a major, major driver of hype in the footwear space year in and year out. Beginning with the UNDEFEATED Jordan 4, enlisting outside creatives has resulted in some of the most sought-after sneakers in the history of the hobby. Since that 2006 pair, Jordan Brand’s roster has swelled tremendously to include the likes of  Supreme, OFF-WHITE, Travis Scott, UNION LA, and J BALVIN. Furthermore, athletes the likes of Ray Allen, Mike Bibby, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook have received special Friends & Family and Player Exclusive (PE) pairs, which have only contributed to Air Jordan’s legend.