In 1984, Nike was in serious jeopardy in the fast paced sportswear market. Suffering from its "white man jogging brand" image, Nike had no credit in the basketball world. The running shoe phenomenon that had fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying, and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. That is when Nike saw something special in the rookie player Michael Jordan, they saw an opportunity. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits.

Air Jordan have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these themes into the shoe