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- What story does the Air Jordan “wings” logo tell?
Air Jordan 1 sneakers have caused a revolution in 1985 and inspired birth of the sneaker culture. The first signature MJ sneakers were born with a wings logo - do you know what story they tell?
In 1984 Nike company has already decided to go all in and sign the NBA rookie Michael Jordan. The promising basketball player was offered not only a large sum of money, but also a series of signature sneakers to be designed by Peter Moore. The first task was to find the right name for the shoes of the future NBA star. Nike was considering Prime Time option, but then Jordan’s agent, David Falk advised Air Jordan name.
Designer Peter Moore, with Air Jordan 1 shoes, wanted to break the current footwear barriers – at that time basketball shoes were limited to black and white color. He wanted to create black, white, and previously unused red shoes, but that was not enough for him – Peter Moore wanted to add one more element to differentiate the Air Jordan 1 sneakers.
And that detail was created very unexpectedly! Nike Vice President Rob Strasser and designer Peter Moore were preparing to fly home after meeting with Jordan's agent Falk. The designer was turning his head - what could be the logo of Air Jordan 1? Upon boarding the plane, he saw a child wearing plastic wings on his t-shirt. Moore's asked the same wings from flight attendant, grabbed a napkin and began to draw - he combined the wings with a basketball, creating the legendary Air Jordan logo.
The designer's final touch has discovered his place on the Air Jordan 1's collar, which is still used on the lateral side. Wings logo represented the path and successful career that awaited Michael.
The Wings logo was also used for the Air Jordan II sneakers. After that it has long disappeared from the series - it was replaced by the famous Jumpman. The first Air Jordan logo was brought back with Air Jordan XXXII basketball shoes.
Get ready for the flight with Jordan sneakers, apparel and stylish accessories ➡ SHOP
Get ready for the flight with Jordan sneakers, apparel and stylish accessories ➡ SHOP