Air Jordan I: The sneaker with lore, staying power

The Air Jordan I is turning 40. 

The first edition of Michael Jordan’s signature Nike shoe line launched in 1985 and continues to make a mark on sneaker culture. 

Released for $65 during the future basketball hall of famer’s rookie season, the Jordan I generated $126 million in its first year for Nike, according to CBS News.

Nike’s Peter Moore designed the sneaker and the iconic Jordan “jumpman” logo while the “Air” name came at the suggestion of Jordan’s agent, according to The New York Times’ obituary for Moore. A prototype of the Jordan I sold at auction in June for $325,000. Those sneakers featured “Air Jordan” stamped on the collar but the later retail version displayed a winged basketball logo inspired by a flight captain’s pin, Moore’s first attempt at a Jordan logo.

Sneakerheads can still lace up Jordan I’s in real life and virtually. Nike’s 2025 lineup of releases include the Jordan I in iconic colorways, including a “starfish, black and white” pair commemorating the colors Jordan wore in an Italian exhibition game when he shattered a backboard with a dunk. The 2025 offerings even include a sneaker emblazoned with Swarovski crystals. Players in Fortnite can now outfit their characters in virtual Nikes, including the Jordan I.

New Jordan I’s typically retail for about $125, but rarer versions can fetch hundreds or even thousands on the resale market. As for the Air Jordan line, the 39th iteration of the shoe hit shelves in 2024.   

Nike has struggled of late with flagging sales, attributed by many to an overreliance on re-issues of classic sneakers and increased competition from brands like On and Hoka. But there’s optimism based on Nike’s high coolness factor among Gen Z and a new CEO elevated from within the company.  

Here’s Nike recently released “Origin Story” for the sneaker. Enjoy.

More nostalgia

📈 The collectibles business in 2025 will see greater interest in women athletes, “complete in box” video games and non-sports cards, according to Cllct. Founded by veteran sports reporter + avid collector Darren Rovell, Cllct spoke with multiple players in the industry to see what’s ahead. The global collectibles market is estimated at $622.4 billion, according to Market Decipher. Started in 2024, Cllct -- “collect,” get it? -- has become a go-to source for tracking the collectibles industry, especially when it comes to big-ticket sports items. In August, Heritage Auctions sold Babe Ruth’s Yankees jersey from the 1932 “Called Shot” game for $24.12 million, making it the most valuable sports collectible ever sold.

🤵🏻‍♂️Ol’ Blue Eyes has staying power. At the end of last year, Frank Sinatra’s “Ultimate Christmas” cracked the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart, marking the 33rd time the late crooner reached that milestone. Sinatra has the most top 10s among solo male singers. The Rolling Stones top all groups with 38 top 10s; Barbra Streisand leads the females with 34. Despite being released in 2017, the holiday compilation -- plus others by contemporaries like Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole – fulfill a strong consumer need for classic seasonal tunes. Further buoying Sinatra at Christmastime, a selection of holiday classics such as “Jingle Bells” given new life with animated music videos on YouTube. 

🚗If you ever craved the luxury of “soft Corinthian leather,” check out Autoweek’s list of the 21 favorite car commercials from the ’60s and ’70s. It’s a YouTube rabbit hole of catchy jingles, eye-catching spectacles and quirky pitches. An ad for the Volkswagen Fastback starring a young Dustin Hoffman took the No. 1 spot. 

Cool content 

How many artifacts from a millennial childhood will fit into a pair of JNCO jeans? Creator Erin Miller offers the answer in an Instagram video with more than 1.2 million likes. Miller frequently mines millennial nostalgia for her millions of followers across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. If you like your pants wide and your pockets deep, you can score a pair of new JNCOs starting at $160 online. As for the acronym, there appears to be no definitive abbreviation, but "Judge None, Choose One," "Journey of the Chosen Ones" or "Jeans Co” are the popular explanations.

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