Nike drops Air Jordan 40 40 years later

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Forty years ago Nike released the first Air Jordan in a black and red colourway that was designed to match Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls uniform.

It changed the landscape of not just basketball but popular culture. The original Air Jordan cost about AUD $100 (USD $65) in 1985.

Today, Nike released the Air Jordan 40 for AUD $270.

"There's only one way to celebrate 40 years of Air Jordans," Nike wrote on its website.

"You gotta do what's never been done. For the first time, we stacked a full-length Zoom Strobel unit on top of full-length ZoomX foam for responsive, marathon-level cushioning.

"Internal straps work with premium leather to give you optimal containment. Underfoot, a unique herringbone traction pattern helps you leave defenders guessing.

Of course, it's still gotta look good. Black and white collide to create one classic colourway."

The original Air Jordan's violated the NBA's strict uniform policy and Nike was forced to pay USD $5,000 fines every time Jordan wore the colourways.

It proved to be one of the most effective marketing strategies in sports apparel history as Nike raked in almost USD $150M in the first year. The company expected to make $3M in three years.

Sales of Air Jordans have since delivered more than USD $1.5BN or more than AUD $2BN.

• Release Year: 1985
• Designer: Peter Moore
• Backstory: Created for Michael Jordan’s rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. It broke the NBA’s uniform rules at the time (the “51% rule”), which required shoes to match team colours. The NBA fined Jordan each time he wore them, but Nike paid the fines — turning controversy into marketing gold.

Design Features

• Silhouette: High-top basketball sneaker with a supportive collar.
• Logo: Debut of the “Wings” logo (basketball with wings) on the ankle, plus the Nike Swoosh. The Jumpman logo didn’t appear until later models.
• Materials: Originally leather uppers, with a sturdy rubber outsole.
• Colourways: The most famous is the “Bred” (black/red), along with Chicago, Royal, and Black Toe.