Discover: How the Air Jordan 1 Transcended Basketball to Become Streetwear's Favourite Silhouette

When many sneakerheads imagine their Mount Rushmore of silhouettes, it's a fairly common trope to see the Air Jordan 1 featured among all lists. This now iconic silhouette has simply transcended the footwear game to solidify itself as a legend within not just sport but fashion also, and rightfully so. Besides its timeless design, the Air Jordan 1 boasts a long and storied history that to this day is continuing to evolve, grow and outlast all trends alongside it.

Our story begins back in 1984, as young buck Michael Jordan debuts in his rookie season playing for the Chicago Bulls. Due to his dominant play style and his presence on the court, Jordan quickly landed a $2.5 million contract with Nike, which ironically, the star was less than thrilled by.

Jordan's loyalties at the time were to adidas, mainly because the brand created shoes lower to the ground, which Michael found fitted his playstyle better. To get Jordan on board, Nike promised to allow the athlete to tailor his shoes to his liking, which at the time was unheard of. Back then, you got what you were given in regards to brand sponsorship deals, but seeing the potential in Jordan, Nike pushed to get the man enlisted.

The partnership wasn't without stipulation, however. Despite the fact Nike had all the faith in Jordan as an athlete, they had to protect themselves from any potential losses, and so clauses in the contract were introduced. If Jordan didn't win Rookie of the Year, become an All-Star or average 20 points a game, Nike could end the contract two years early. Luckily for both parties, Jordan surpassed all expectations, quickly solidifying himself as a legend of the game.

Since the Air Jordan 1 wouldn't be available until November of 1985, Jordan would play in the Nike Air Ship, a silhouette that, at first glance, could be mistaken for the Air Jordan 1 as we know it today. Designed by Bruce Kilgore, the Air Ship featured a red and white colourway with a high top construction and an extended tongue. According to some sources, Jordan claimed the silhouette looked like a "clown shoe," but he soon warmed to them after assessing the shoe's performance on the court.

The one tasked with creating Jordan's first signature shoe was Peter C. Moore, a man who set out to embrace the "Air Jordan" nickname Michael had inherited during his early years on the court. As per Michael's requests, the shoe had to be low to the ground as well as "different" and "exciting." Peter's final product showcased a robust leather construction complete with colour-blocked panels and a large Nike Swoosh on the side. In addition, this latest model also featured a basketball with wings logo on the upper panelling, a design Peter Moore apparently drew on the back of a napkin during dinner.

Initially, the "Bred" came first, a colourway that drew its name from its classic black and red construction. Controversially, this model would later be dubbed the "Banned" by both Nike and fans alike because NBA commissioner Russ Granik sent a letter to Jordan saying that he would be fined $5000 for each time he wore them on the court. The shoe apparently broke the "51% rule," which demanded players' footwear must be 51% white to ensure they matched with each team's jerseys.

Undeterred by this rule, Nike and Jordan continued to flaunt this latest model on the court and even used the controversy to produce a marketing campaign complete with a TV ad. The ad showcased Jordan with a ball in hand as the camera pans head to toe, eventually reaching the pair of "Bred" on his feet. The narrator reads, "On October 15th, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18th, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can't stop you from wearing them. Air Jordans. From Nike."

After the ad aired, consumers were sent into a frenzy, and the shoe sold out almost instantaneously despite its $65 price tag. At the time, $65 was fairly costly for a Nike model, but people were so set on obtaining the shoe that some even reportedly paid up to $100 from resellers, a practice that was near unheard of in the sneaker world at the time. In 1985 alone, Nike would release a total of 13 Air Jordan 1 colourways, including classics such as the "Chicago," the "Royal," the "Black Toe," the "Shadow," and the "Carolina Blue," amassing near 4 million units sold and $55 million dollars in sales.

It was fair to say the Air Jordan 1 was a resounding success, with Nike seeking to get the product back on the shelves as quickly as it sold out for years to come. However, as we all know, no hype lasts forever and the Air Jordan 1 quickly found itself falling out of favour. In 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing the loss of his father and the desire to play basketball as the reason. As a subsequential result, AJ1s now sat on the shelves and eventually found themselves reduced to prices as low as $20, a ludicrous thought to the modern-day sneakerhead.

Similar to the story of the Nike Dunk, these shoes were adopted by an unlikely ally in the skateboard community. Seeking cheap, functional and robust shoes, skateboarders began wearing the Air Jordan 1 due to the fact they had more longevity compared to the canvas additions on the market. Though you can't solely thank skateboarding for propping up the AJ1 in its time of need, the involvement did eventually contribute to the beginning of Nike SB and the release of such collaborative silhouettes as the Lance Mountain AJ1, "NYC to Paris," and the "LA to Chicago."

Despite MJ returning to basketball back in 1995 after a brief stint in MLB, the Air Jordan 1 would be shelved a year later to allow Nike to focus on other silhouettes such as the popular Air Jordan 3 and Air Jordan 4. Eight years on, Nike decided to try and revive the AJ1 by releasing the now legendary "Banned" and "Chicago" colourways, but to many people's surprise, this release also fell flat.

A further six years and another retirement later, and Jordan returned to the court with the Washington Wizards in 2001. With him, he bought back the original 13 AJ1 colourways and eventually the low-top version of the silhouette. During this time, influenced basketball fans once again found themselves investing in the shoe, but it didn't hold a candle to the silhouette's early success. A year on from Jordan's final retirement in 2003, the AJ1 followed suit, ceasing production completely.

Just like how MJ had made two previous comebacks, the AJ1 was about to do the same. In April of 2007, Nike released a new AJ1 two-pack entitled "Old Love, New Love." This new pack contained an original "Black Toe" colourway as well as a new black and yellow pair, finally providing a fresh lease of life on the AJ1 collection. This release paved the way for a slew of Air Jordan 1 colourways to come in the years that followed, including the introduction of the modified "Phat" version with additional padding.

One could argue the biggest turning point for the Air Jordan 1 happened in 2014 when the brand collaborated with fragment design for a unique version of the "Black Toe." Rather than using the traditional "Chicago Red" red colour found on this shoe, designer Hiroshi Fujiwara opted for the deep blue hue from the "Royal" instead, creating a classic meets contemporary approach. There was something about the Air Jordan 1 x fragment design Retro High that sent both new and old fans of silhouette into overdrive, leading the Air Jordan 1 back to pole position in terms of hype.

In 2017, still riding the wave from the earlier Frags release, Jordan collaborated with none other than Virgil Abloh's Off-White label to produce a somewhat deconstructed rendition of the shoe. This release arrived as part of the duo's "The Ten" project, a collection that reimagined a number of Nike's most iconic silhouettes, such as the Air Force 1, the Air Max 90 and the Blazer. Each model was designed to evoke a DIY nature, with hand-cut detailing and Virgil's famed quotation mark and zip tag motifs. Out of the entire release, the AJ1 was one of the most revered models, with the shoe even today commanding resell fees of £5,000 and upwards.

By the end of 2017, the AJ1 was truly back and here to stay. Since that point, Nike has kept the Air Jordan 1 firmly in its yearly plans, treating fans of the silhouette to both OG colourways as well as fresh renditions. Currently, fans are anticipating the fourth release of the iconic "Chicago" colourway, and it's touted to be arguably the biggest sneaker release of 2022, which almost poses the question - just how long can the Air Jordan 1 stay at the top?