As Michael Jordan entered his rookie year in 1984, he was approached to sign a shoe deal with Adidas, Converse, and Nike.

Nike designed the Air Jordan I based on the Chicago Bulls' red and black team colors with only 23% white, which violated the NBA's policy.

The brand has built a sustainable business model by releasing Air Jordan shoes and apparel, and collaborating with popular artists.

[14][15] The "Jumpman" logo originated from a photo shoot Michael Jordan did for Life magazine at the University of North Carolina campus before he played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics, photographed by Co Rentmeester.

Jordan posed in a manner identical to the grand jeté ballet technique, while holding a basketball with his left hand, and wearing his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes.

[19] The red and black colorway of the Nike Air Ship, the prototype for the Jordan I, was later outlawed by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern for having very little white on them.

[33] Like the VII and VIII models, the Air Jordan IX featured an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents.

The ballistic mesh upper of the sneaker was meant to make the Air Jordan XI lighter and more durable.

Further changes came with the use of a carbon fiber spring plate in the translucent outsole, giving the shoe better torque when twisting on the court.

It wasn't the first time Jordan had run afoul of NBA footwear rules, having broken them with his very first signature shoe in 1985.

Nonetheless, the Air Jordan XIX model did include a set of laces behind the sleeve to better secure the shoe.

The relationship began when Mars Blackmon (a character from Spike Lee's film, She's Gotta Have It) became a pitchman in Nike commercials for Air Jordans.

The pack featured two colorways of the Air Jordan I Retro - the original White/Black-Varsity Red (Black Toes) and a new pair in Black/Varsity-Maize/White.

[59] This release marked a comeback for the Air Jordan 1 paving the way for a slew of colorways, including the modified "Phat" version with additional padding.

[61] Jordan Brand released colorways representative of each team that the Chicago Bulls defeated in their six championship seasons during the 1990s: The Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Utah Jazz.

The shoes include laser-etched graphics detailing specific aspects about that particular championship series and the city of the competing team.

The polyurethane (PU) material in the soles of many Air Jordan models can break down over time, and many collectors find that their vintage pairs are often unwearable.

[62] Known as PU degradation, polyurethane soles are susceptible to hydrolysis and oxidation, and shoes with this material have been found to have a poor aging performance.

[64][65] Fifteen-year-old high school student Michael Eugene Thomas was choked to death by one of his peers for a pair of Air Jordan sneakers in 1989.

[67] This ban was the first of many dress codes implemented in schools after a wave of robberies, beatings, and shootings over possession of Air Jordan sneakers and other items of clothing.

[citation needed] In April 1997, 10,000 Indonesian workers went on strike over wage violations at an Air Jordan factory.

[70] Rappers in the 1990s including 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Ice Cube, and Jay-Z mention Michael Jordan's sneakers and success in their music.

Air Jordan has collaborated with many brands and artists, including celebrities Drake,[74] Billie Eilish,[75] J Balvin,[76] DJ Khaled, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Future and Mark Wahlberg.

Collaborations include Virgil Abloh and his brand Off-White,[79] Supreme,[80][81] Commes de Garcons,[82] Kaws,[83] Dior,[84] and Paris Saint-Germain.

In 1989, the film Do the Right Thing portrayed a character "Buggin Out" (Giancarlo Esposito) in a clean pair of Air Jordan 4s that became scuffed.

The pitch resulted in Space Jam (1996), a commercial success which grossed over $230 million at the box office and generated over $1 billion in merchandise sales.

[91][92] The success of the advertising campaign and the film contributed to the popularity of Looney Tunes and other cartoon characters as motifs in street fashion through the 1990s and 2000s.

It stars a teenage orphan who gains basketball abilities when he wears sneakers inscribed by Michael Jordan.

[94] North Carolina A&T, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), ended its sponsorship in 2003 when it signed with Russell Athletic.

As of 2023, Air Jordan is the equipment provider for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, and UCLA Bruins football programs.