The history of Air Jordans begins in 1984, at a time when Nike was a brand struggling for global leadership in the sports shoe market. At that time, the Nike brand was known as a manufacturer of running shoes, a market that was slowly dying and reborn in a different look. In search of a way to enter new market segments, Nike turned their attention to an NBA rookie named Michael Jordan. At the time of the proposal, Michael had already preliminarily approved several other proposals, but Nike representatives felt that Jordan would help them turn the market around and were not going to abandon their idea. Initially, Michael Jordan hoped to sign a contract with Adidas or Converse, since he always loved these brands and went to the games in Converse sneakers, which he loved back when he was playing for the University of North Carolina. Continue reading →