The year was 1985, and a historic partnership between the greatest basketball player of all time and arguably the greatest sports marketing company was formed with the release of the Air Jordan I in the simple Bulls home and away colorways: white. /black/red and b/r (MJ was fined by the NBA for not having enough white on his shoes, and sure enough, Nike stepped up to pay his fines and gained valuable media exposure in the process.) The original Air Jordan One was an eclectic mix of Nike’s other basketball shoes: the Nike Dunk, the Terminator, and the Air Force 1, and what helped set it apart in terms of cutting-edge sports branding and marketing was the classic ‘Jordan Wings’ logo. Which reminds you of flight and Mike flying to the hoop. The AJI is a simple and timeless shoe.

It’s the classic original that would start the Jordan legacy; now, while not recommended as a performance shoe by today’s standards due to the paper-thin sole, it holds up compared to the other basketball shoes of its day. Unsurprisingly, this shoe has been retroceded many times, including the 2001 Retro+ which was cut a bit lower with 9 lace holes instead of 8 and a jumpman stitched into the heel; the 2002 version, instead of the giant sideways swoosh, had a chrome jumpman and clear outsole.

The AJI started the process of the next match together with the AJII. Now the first big difference is that the AJ2 lacks the giant side swoosh; in fact, one of the only common points is the Wings logo. It has a completely revamped upper with clean lines and upgraded materials.

Higher quality leathers were used on this model, and combined with plastic on the heel counter and lace loops, it had a more solid feel. The AJIIs were made in Italy and the Wings logo became an integral part of the main design. Remade in 1994, the retro Jordan II, like the Retro I, came in a commemorative box with a retro card.

What happened next was revolutionary in terms of shoe design, performance basketball shoes, and sports marketing. It was the release of the Air Jordan III and according to a recent survey; the AJIII is the most popular sneaker ever. The Air Jordan III was the first in many ways; the first Air Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield, the first to have a visible air bubble, and the first to feature the jumpman as the main logo. The standout designs of the elephant print, sculpted midsole and lower profile were groundbreaking and set the Air Jordan apart. In terms of look and feel, featuring a full-grain nubuck upper with synthetic leather elephant print, the AJIII set the bar much higher than its two predecessors. Technically speaking, by adding a polyurethane midsole and Visible Max Air bubble, the AJIII was and still is a top of the line shoe.

When the AJIV arrived on the scene, the ties to the AJIII were in the advanced, comfortable midsole and ‘Nike Air’ in the heel, however the similarities ended there. The Jordan IV introduced the nubuck upper for the first time along with the Black/Cement colorway. A fine plastic mesh is shown in each of the 4 colorways and the triangle side piece and lace clips are also made of plastic. The tongue, much like Mike’s trademark at the height of his powers, really set this shoe on fire; not only was the Jumpman in there, but a ‘Flight’ script logo was also included which added one more touch of flavor.

With the advent of the AJV seeing how the AJ4 was a classic in its own right just like its predecessor, it’s no surprise that many of the best features were carried over. However, there were notable differences, such as lace closures to prevent the laces from unraveling during battle. Structurally, the Jordan V was designed to be a little more supportive, so it’s cut a little higher than the IV with added ankle padding. The release of the White/Grape Ice-New Emerald (Radical Purple and Green) shoe was the first time Air Jordan was released in a non-traditional basketball colorway; Another memorable detail was the ’23’ stitched into the traditional Black/Fire Red shoe. The most remembered style feature of this shoe was the tongue; made from 3M space-age fabrics, it reflected light. One of the most controversial features of the V was the transparent rubber sole; it was a cutting-edge aesthetic design feature, but sadly the inevitable yellowing somewhat corrupted a great idea.

The AJVI came onto the scene at an important time in the history of the NBA and professional sports. It is forever connected in our collective consciousness to MJ’s first championship; I remember like it was yesterday watching Michael wear the black/infrared 6s growing in confidence as a helpless Magic and their Lakers looked on with a mixture of amazement and appreciation. Aside from the now classic Black/Infra Red, the rest of the colorways for the IV were interesting to say the least and didn’t really match the Bulls uniform. Notable technology/design differences in this shoe were a more sculpted midsole with more arch definition and an innovative new comfort feature emanating from a redesigned tongue without the 3M fabric. The Jordan VI is the first to include an inner bootie; the tongue forms the top of a thin neoprene sleeve that runs down to the top of the foot, providing a snug fit and snug feel.

As Michael revolutionized the game of basketball, Nike and Air Jordan continued to revolutionize the footwear game with the AJVII. Michael won his second championship in these shoes against the Blazers and who could forget the zone he got into when he sank 6 3-pointers in one half. The transition from AJ VI to AJ VII saw the departure of the words ‘Nike Air’ and Mars Blackmon. MJ, after winning his second NBA title, also won the Olympic gold medal in 1992 and his Olympic number 9 was on the back of the shoe instead of number 23. As for the shoe itself, it was sometimes lighter and in others more comfortable than its predecessor. To make the best possible use of the inner boot, he was extended up and fitted with a tongue as he hugged and shaped the foot in the forefoot. With the number 23 printed on the back in plastic, this Jordan was lighter and more streamlined than its two direct predecessors and the thick ankle padding had been eliminated. All 7 were brought back in 2002 and then fed back once more at short notice in 2004.