In the NBA no player comes close to the legendary status of Michael Jordan. He has achieved everything from finding success on the court and building several successful business ventures. However, nothing would be complete without Jordan’s first sneaker deal with Nike. This deal is the greatest deal struck by both Nike and Michael, who have dominated the sneaker industry ever since its inception.
MJ hesitated to sign with Nike and preferred Adidas. At the time Converse was dominating the market with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird under contract with Converse. However, Nike’s salesman, Sonny Vaccaro, convinced Nike’s founder Phil Knight to sign Michael, who at the time was a rookie. Eventually, Nike gave his Airness a 5-year endorsement deal worth $2.5 million, a deal which was a huge contract.
What was the price of the Air Jordan 1 at the time of its release?
The first ever sneakers from the Jordan brand were released in April 1985 and were titled ‘Air Jordan 1’. It was priced at $65, which consisted of a unique design and was meant for basketball lovers. The sneaker was designed by Peter Moore, which was consistent with other sneakers. However, it lacked the technology that it does today. MJ was given the freedom to grow the brand and his sneaker line.
Air Jordan 1, worn and signed by Michael Jordan in 1985, was sold for $560,000 🤑@Sothebys #AirJordan1 #AirJordan #AJ1FAM #aj1 #MichaelJordan #jumpman #sneakers #SneakerScouts #sneakerhead pic.twitter.com/BNBXFMHiOC
— AVEKE (@avekeonline) May 17, 2020
Back in 2020, a signed Air Jordan 1 sneaker was sold for a record $560,000. It was sold in an auction held by Sotheby’s on May 17, 2020. It became the most expensive sneakers sold at an auction at the time. The pair of sneakers are in mismatched sizes of 13 and 13.5, which was preferred by the 5x MVP himself.
Are the Air Jordan 1s the rarest sneakers from the Jordan brand?
Air Jordan 1s are one of the most popular models from the Jordan brand. Nobody dislikes sneakers which gave it their big break. However, AJ 1s are some of the most loved sneakers around the globe. Air Jordan 1 is not the rarest sneaker from the brand, however, one of its models is the second rarest sneaker in their line-up. Air Jordan 1 x Just Don BHM Pack is one of the rarest collections from the Jordan brand.
37 exclusive pairs created to commemorate the 37th anniversary of Black History Month: Air Jordan 1 x Just Don “Just Jordan BHM”
Find them here: https://t.co/kZe7UmAIMy pic.twitter.com/Ktv4OILyU4
— Flight Club (@flightclub) February 11, 2018
However, Air Jordan X Special “Grimm” Edition is the rarest sneakers the brand has to offer. They were released in 2016 and auctioned just 10 pairs. They were released in 2 colorways, white and black, which featured Jordan’s signature on the outer side of the sneakers.
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