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The Nike
Air Jordan Evolution
Michael Jordan the man himself may have
stepped away from the game, but his legacy
will always live on in the record books
and with his shoes.
The shoe phenomenon that has become a fashion
dynasty since it's first release in 1985.
Michael Jordan will forever have his nickname
"Air Jordan" preserved on leather
and lace as it will be worn by many future
generations. Below are short background
stories on the evolution of Air Jordan Shoes.
Air Jordan I (1985)
The Air Jordan I was designed by Peter Moore
and marked a new era in the design of basketball
shoes. The black/red model was banned by
the NBA due to NBA color rules and this
actually helped to create more publicity
and more interest for the shoes. Whether
this was a marketing ploy from Nike or not,
it helped to generate the interest that,
to date, has supported nineteen different
Jordan shoes, retro versions, and limited
editions.
The original Air Jordan I came with a double
set of laces to match the two colors of
the shoe. For example, the black/red's
came with one set of black laces and one
set of red laces.
The white/black-red and black/red Jordan
I was released as a retro in 1994 and sold
very poorly, however in 2001 they released
them again in patent leather and the demand
was much greater. Despite the
changing of the times, the Air Jordan line
has managed to survive controversy and changes
in fashion while producing a quality basketball
shoe.
>> Air
Jordan I
Air Jordan II (1986)
The Air Jordan II was designed by Bruce
Kilgore and just as its predecessor it showed
a great innovative design. The low-tops
were produced in Italy and and were far
more stylish than the ordinary basketball
shoe.
Surprisingly this is the only original Air
Jordan ever that has not been made in a
black version. While there were plans to
release the Air Jordan II in black, these
never became a reality for the original
release of the Jordan II.
The white/black AJ II's were retroed in
1994 in limited quantities. Just like the
Air Jordan Retro I they sold very poorly
and were often found deeply discounted at
shoe stores nationwide. The Jordan II have
been recently re-retroed, finally in black
leather.¾ The Jordan Retro II is also available
in white/varsity red-black.
>> Air
Jordan II
Air Jordan III (1988)
The design of the Air Jordan III was
totally different from the Jordan I
and Jordan II. It was the first
pair of Jordan shoes that showed a
visible air sole. The designer behind this
innovation was Tinker Hatfield who
designed every Air Jordan model up to the
15th.
This was also the very first Air Jordan
to feature the Jumpman logo instead of the
Wings logo on the first two Jordan shoes.
While the Jordan III might be one of the
most popular Air Jordan's ever, it was nonetheless
highly unpopular when retroed in 1994.
>> Air
Jordan III
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