Many NBA superstars have shoe deals, but none of the alternatives outrank the Air Jordan. Here’s the story of how the renowned shoe came to be.
In the early 80s, Converse was the official shoe of the NBA, the company that sponsored players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. But in 1984, Converse wasn’t ready to take a chance on then-rookie Michael Jordan. Converse wanted Jordan to prove himself, just as Magic and Bird had done. And to make matters complicated commercially, Adidas (not Converse) was Michael’s favorite shoe. Jordan preferred Adidas because he could take them out of the box and play immediately, so comfortable was the shoe on his feet.
Photo courtesy of The Cardboard Collection
David Falk, Jordan’s agent at the time, counseled Michael in a different direction and encouraged him to sign with Nike. That was risky for Jordan because, back then, Nike was known primarily for manufacturing track shoes. So, Jordan wasn’t buying Falk’s suggestion–at least not until his mother intervened, arguing that he had nothing to lose “by just listening to what Nike had to say.”
Sonny Vaccaro was an executive for Nike at the time, and he was sold on Jordan’s potential, including his market value. Vaccaro was focused, if not driven, to get Michael to sign with the company. Vaccaro’s credibility came from his basketball background, especially with high school players. He and his college roommate founded the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, a prestigious school basketball tournament that featured up-and-coming players.
Michael and Sonny (photo, ClutchPoints)
Going on his gut, Vacarro believed that Nike should go all-in on Michael. When other company executives countered the idea of signing Jordan along the lines of what they had offered Charles Barkley, Vacarro said that didn’t go far enough. Vacarro had “this” feeling about Jordan.
At the time, Nike had just released a running shoe called “Air Soles.” Falk, thinking of possibilities, recommended renaming it Air Jordan because Michael had soaring power. The executives eventually bought the idea, hoping that the new offering, Air Jordans, would make a dent in the athletic shoe market. Selling 3 million pairs over the next 12 months was the target.
Well, they were wrong. The sales number was 26 million.
The story I’ve just relayed is scheduled to become a feature film (Amazon Studios) with Ben Affleck directing and Matt Damon playing Sonny Vaccaro. I can’t wait for it to hit the market!
Now since I’ve been a Michael Jordan fan since his North Carolina days. I’d like to think I know a little bit about MJ’s career. However, in this article there may have one or two things I knew. But. Most of the content, I did not. Thanks for sharing. Awesome article Matthew. Like I said in the last article I read, it’s great that you are bringing a lot of this forgotten info to light. Thank you sir!