NIKE AIR JORDAN
NIKE and AIR JORDAN are arguably the two most prominent sneaker brands in modern day history.
Nike was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports in Beaverton, Oregan. The brand was founded by Bill Bowerman, a track and field coach at the University of Oregan and Phil Knight who was a former student of Bowerman. The first Nike outlet opened in 1966, later in 1972 Nike released its first brand shoe. The company was renamed Nike, Inc. in 1978 and went public two years later.
In the following decenia, Nike became knowns as the global phenomenon it is today.
A significant part of the growth Nike has realised can be attributed to the endless big names Nike has endorsment deals with. With a full array of top athletes in different sports and industries, Nike has engraved itself as an influential part of modern day culture.
The most important Athlete Nike ever signed was Michael Jordan.
In 1984 "MJ" was drafted into the NBA and signed with Nike. "His Airness" quickly grew into a global phenomenon and is generally perceived as the greatest basketball player of all time. Air Jordan was founded in 1984 during Jordans rookie season. The "Jordan 1" came out in March 1985. The colours of this shoe did not fit the NBA uniform protocol. As a result of this, the NBA fined Michael Jordan $5.000 per game. Nike decided to keep paying the fines until the NBA allowed the shoe to be worn on the court.
Today, Jordan and Nike are the most popular brands within the footwear industry.
Retro releases and collaborations with Mega Artists such as Drake and Travis Scott keep adding fuel to the global brand.
