Nike released the first signature shoe, Air Jordan 1, in 1984
The model was centered around black and red, the colors of the Chicago Bulls. The model disrupted the status quo of white sneakers typically worn by basketball players at the time (Kunkel).
The shoes retailed at $64.95 (Patton).
The NBA sent a letter to Nike that the shoes violated league policy, incurring a $5,000 fine per game (Kunkel).
Nike capitalized on the controversy by producing a commercial about the NBA’s ban on its sneakers (Kunkel).
Many believe that the controversy insured the success of the line because the shoes received so much media attention (Patton).
These signature shoes were promoted through billboards, posters, and television ads, and the slogan of the campaign was “Who says man was not meant to fly?” (Patton).
Two months after the first release, Nike sold $70 million worth of Air Jordans (Kunkel).
The Air Jordan 1 made Nike’s corporate logo and Swoosh sign one of the most familiar icons of all time (Kellner).