After 25 Years, Jordan’s Still on Leading of the Shoe Game

With the unveiling of the Jordan 11 line in Miami last month, Michael Jordan and his new spokesperson Dwayne Wade ushered in 25 years of resplendent sneakers. Amongst the choices at the luxurious key ceremony were the hottest Air Jordans, evidently the focus of this unveiling, which Jordan called a “pinnacle of 25 years” and “marks the future of the Jordan brand.”

The flagship sneaker is a minimalist mid-top that takes actually Jordan’s opportunity to see through his opponent. The side of the shoe has a window so you can see into the shoe from the outside. And its spokesperson, Dwayne Wade, is the Jordan franchise’s first since Air Jordan himself.

But more incredible than the progress of a footwear company over 25 years is the actuality that Jordan is still as commonplace as ever nearly 7 years after his final retirement. His Airness took Nike from a trainer company to a lifestyle brand, effectively creating basketball as a type of sporting apparel. His company’s regular release of new footwear versions propelled trainer collection and created a whole critical culture around men’s sneakers that never existed before.

Nikes are even now the best-selling footwear brand all-around the world and that is, in no small way, because of the long relationships basketball players and fashionistas alike have developed with Jordans. From Peter Moore’s very first style, 1985′s Jordan 1 to the 2009 Holiday delivering, the Jordan 60+ line, these sneakers have seen a progress that have transformed the way people watch basketball sneakers. Classic styles like the Air Jordan 12′s, with their soaring sun radial stitching, became staples of basketball courts from the streets to the suburbs and are still sported today.

But now that Jordan has changed the game, many of his company’s newest designs have gone retro. His 60+ line is made to memorialize games where he scored 60 or more points. Like the Air Jordan 7 Retro DMP, that is a reimagining of an older hi-top but is re-colored to observe the 1993 matchup between the Bulls and the Orlando Magic when Jordan dropped 64 points. These re-imagined throwback designs are reconnecting Jordan disciples with the sneakers they liked growing up.

After 25 years, Jordan still commands the respect of an industry, the love and adoration of fans and the critique and criticism of collectors who demand the best (and often get it). His hottest 60+ line and the Jordan 8 design are just further proof that, 25 years after taking his very first leap up into the footwear business, his Airness has not come down.

Step To Run offers all of the latest selection of Air Jordan Trainers. Check out our website for your next purchase.