Michael Jordan was not the first basketball player to have a signature line of shoes, but his brand set the standard for all others to follow.
The first Air Jordan shoes were released in 1985 when Michael Jordan was playing his first season in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls. The famous Air Jordan I was released in every possible colorway one could imagine (23 in total), but what made the shoes so famous was not just by who was wearing them, but the fact that the Air Jordan shoes were “banned” from the NBA.
The Air Jordan I was the first signature basketball shoe developed by the Nike line that had its patented air cushioning. Though today many wouldn’t want to walk more than several blocks in the orignal Air Jordan shoes, the Air Jordan shoes were far ahead of their time.
Air Jordan shoes have been a major part of pop-culture since their release. There are countless photos of celebrities, athletes, and music artists wearing Air Jordan shoes. Nike and Jordan Brand have Air Jordan shoes placed in hip hop music videos as a form of product placement. Sit down, watch an hour of videos on BET, and you will see that the Air Jordan shoes are the most popular shoes worn by hip hop artists.
A new model of the Air Jordan shoes line is released every year (usually in February) and between 3-6 retro lines are released per year. In addition the those Air Jordan shoes and retro Jordans there are usually 2 Team Jordan shoes (aka Jumpman shoes) released.