Air Jordan
AIR JORDAN IS STILL THE ULTIMATE SNEAKER BRAND.
Michael Jordan burst onto the scene as an NBA rookie in 1984 and Nike saw the potential in this young superstar and quickly gave him his own signature sneaker. Air Jordan 1 took the world by storm and 30+ years later Air Jordans are still heralded as the biggest sneaker releases each and every year.
The Air Jordan 1 wasn’t without its controversy though - upon its debut it was banned by the NBA as players were expected to wear matching footwear on the basketball court. Nike decided to pay the fine for each on-court appearance, and Michael Jordan went on to help make Jordan Brand a successful Nike franchise.