A record 6 million viewers tuned in to ESPN this past Sunday to watch the first two episodes of The Last Dance, a 10-part miniseries documentary about Michael Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship victory (previously won in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, and 1997) with the Chicago Bulls during the 1997-1998 season. Even in a regular basketball season, this documentary would gain a lot of notice; however, since COVID-19 has stopped all kinds of sports, this is a well-timed opportunity for older people to reminisce about the good old days and younger people to learn more about the enduring legacy of the GOAT. However, 10 hours of video does not even begin to cover the extent of Jordan’s legendary status from being a movie star in Space Jam (1996) to being undefeated throughout his participation in the Olympics and thus leading the U.S. team to gold twice (first in 1984 in Los Angeles before he turned professional and second in 1992 in Barcelona) to actually walking away from the sport twice to play baseball in the Chicago White Sox minor leagues. Arguably, he was also the first athlete to transcend race by staying out of politics and not getting involved in messy scandals, and that may have cemented his minimally controversial legacy in the long run. The documentary (which took over 20 years to get approved and produced) explores the dream team of Jordan, teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, and coach Phil Jackson before it all fell apart and everyone went their separate ways. Unseen footage from decades ago will definitely feature Jordan’s extremely competitive nature and trash talk on and off the court for the next 4 weeks. No wonder he was voted MVP five times, led the league in scoring ten times, and singlehandedly changed the sport by proving that skill and speed matter the most in a game previously dominated by size and strength with his devastatingly effective midrange jump shots throughout 15 seasons. Since Jordan’s official retirement from the NBA in 2003, there will naturally be other stars to bask in the limelight and win championships, but no one will ever do it Like Mike. Retirement in golf courses and admittedly hideous outfits could not keep Jordan away from his lifelong sport for too long since he became majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010.
But the closest ordinary people could come to doing it Like Mike was through buying his shoes. By the time he reached the height of his career, he had already become a brand onto himself — a breathing, walking, jumping one. Ironically, His Airness initially gravitated towards partnering with adidas for a signature shoe, but his agent David Falk convinced both the 21-year-old rookie and Nike to launch the Air Jordan line, “Air” referring to Nike’s newest revolutionary technology cushioning feet and Jordan’s hang time off the ground. In return, Jordan would be entitled to an unprecedented $500,000 over 5 years and his own shoe with his name on it (also unprecedented). In the past, Nike had only wooed tennis superstars such as John McEnroe and Andre Agassi in this way, so this was a big step forward for the sport and the brand. Little did they know that Jordan Brand would bring in more than $3 billion every year. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Jordan sneakers form the backbone of sneaker culture today. So far, 34 Air Jordan models exist in the lineage, but most people agree that only the first 14 or so are significant. It’s a little disappointing to see Jordan Brand become watered down with recent models, but fortunately, their earliest models release in different colors and styles all year round so there’s something for everyone. It’s pretty hard to keep this short because it would be a disservice to how much the Jordan shoes made an impact as both casual and luxury footwear. Jordan shoes were meant to be worn on the hardwood basketball court but were easily worn elsewhere, following the saying “form follows function.” No matter where the future of Jordan Brand lies, the history of the shoes and the man wearing them will always be remembered.
10. Jordan 14 (1998)
Continuing the trend of being inspired by car models, this time it was Jordan’s own Ferrari 355 F1. The 14 truly looks like an exotic sports car, featuring a Ferrari-like shield with the Jumpman logo, silver tips on the laces, breathable mesh vents, asymmetrical collar, and tire tread rubber panel on the heel. The shoe also has 7 Jumpman logos for a total of 14 Jumpman logos to match the shoe model number. Designed by Tinker Hatfield and Mark Smith, the sleek and lightweight shoe was symbolic in that it became the last shoe Jordan wore as a Chicago Bulls player. It’s also important because Jordan scored the famous “Last Shot” in a pair of black and red Jordan 14 against the Utah Jazz during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Every dynasty meets its inevitable end but Jordan went out with a bang and the second three-peat of his incredible career. He retired a year later in 1999 but then returned in 2001 to play briefly for the Washington Wizards and finally retired for good in 2003. Truly not enough superlatives in the English language to describe the man’s greatness. A real-life superhero.
9. Jordan 12 (1996)
The sequel to the Jordan 11 switched the patent leather upper for a pebbled leather upper with quilted panels and was the first Jordan model to feature a Zoom Air unit. The stitching down the side panels was inspired by a 19th century women’s shoe called Nisshoki and the Rising Sun of the Imperial Japanese flag, a questionable choice that nevertheless became enshrined in the pantheon of great Jordan models with Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, immortalized as the Flu Game. He came down with a suspected case of food poisoning (rumors indicate other causes) and laid down on a table in the locker right until game time. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle: Jordan scoring 38 points during his 44 minutes of play was enough to hold the Jazz off for Game 6 where the Bulls won the championship again. The game was etched in memory for millions worldwide and it proved to be iconic enough that on December 12, 2013, the original pair of black and red Jordan 12’s worn during the game and autographed by Jordan sold at auction for a staggering $104,765. For shoes worn by Jordan, this is only bested by Michael Jordan’s game worn and autographed Converse Fastbreaks from the 1984 LA Olympics gold medal basketball game against Spain which sold for an eye-watering $190,373.
8. Jordan 2 (1986)
This understated shoe remains the first and only Jordan model to be produced in Italy. Bruce Kilgore, the designer behind the Nike Air Force 1, also removed the Swoosh in the process of creating the shoe. He also designed the speed lacing system and heel counter. Most importantly, the premium leather upper and faux lizard skin was the first foray into luxury by the American company decades before NBA players pulled off pregame fits mixing streetwear and high fashion in arena entrance tunnels. Unfortunately, Jordan’s injury causing him to miss out on most of the 1985-86 season as well as other companies releasing sneakers imitating the Jordan 1 did not help in marketing the Jordan 2 (only worn 18 times during his career) in addition to the relatively high price tag ($100 compared to the $65 cost of the Jordan 1). When he entered the 1986-87 season, MJ continued to smash records left and right but ultimately lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The radical changes from this shoe paved the way for more innovative and flashy shoes down the line.
7. Jordan 7 (1992)
Another step on the road to greatness, this shoe marks Jordan’s second time winning the NBA Championship and Finals MVP as well as proudly leading the original Dream Team to international glory and gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, redeeming America’s stature after a crushing loss to the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This shoe also marks the moment Jordan Brand became a distinct entity from Nike and Nike Basketball. Tinker Hatfield completely removed all interior and exterior Nike branding, including the visible Air bubble. Interestingly enough, the Jordan 7 midsole featuring bold lines was inspired by West African tribal art from an Afropop poster Tinker Hatfield saw in Portland. The Jordan 7 incorporated Nike Huarache technology as a neoprene inner booty, making it one of the lightest basketball shoes at the time.
6. Jordan 6 (1991)
The shoes Jordan wore when he won his first NBA championship and first NBA Finals MVP award were obviously going to be noticed; it was just a question of whether they measured up to past Jordan models. As MJ embraced the Larry O’Brien trophy, some in the audience caught glimpses of the leather overlays, rich suede, clean reinforced toe cap, rubber tongue with two finger loops, and the rear pull tab of the shoes inspired by the Porsche 911. While the sculpted midsole, visible Air cushioning, and translucent outsole carried over from the 5, this shoe is distinct in that it was designed to be easier to put on. Beyond the hardwood, comedian Jerry Seinfeld wore it in early episodes of his sitcom Seinfeld, definitely contributing to the hype.
Check out the top 5 best shoes from Jordan Brand in Part 2!
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