23 FLAVORS
1 “BRED”
MICHAEL SAID THEY reminded him of the Devil. Black and red sneakers? It was too new, too much to process. But underneath the surface, underneath the mainstream’s frightened reaction, underneath the NBA’s (supposed) banning, the “Bred” Air Jordan I had a new generation of kids prepared to start a revolution. A cultural uprising was about to take flight.
Most sneakers were made with white bases in the ’80s. There would be pops of colors here and there, maybe a green or a blue or a red. Black was the most common companion for the white uppers. Originality was seriously lacking.
The OG AJI flipped that normalcy on its head. The “Breds” were a physical announcement, a loud representation of being different. It was time to stand out, just like the kid that was wearing them on the court in the 1985 NBA Dunk Contest.
The public had been given glances at the “Breds” by the time it landed on store shelves in April, 1985. The demand had hit a fever pitch just as MJ’s rookie season was finishing up. The “Breds” started the trend that saw Nike sell damn four million pairs of the AJI in that first year.
A sneaker with premium black and red leather on top of a white midsole proved to be the perfect way to catch the nation. It was simple enough, bold enough, with just the right level of distinction. It didn’t matter who you were. Ballplayers, b-boys and stick-up kids had them.
The “Breds” captured lightning in a bottle. Then Michael Jordan jumped up and rode that bolt all the way to the stratosphere. He still hasn’t come down.
2 “ROYAL”
MICHAEL REALLY DIDN’T like that black and red colorway at first. His favorite color combination is actually blue and black, which is why the Swoosh hooked him up with the “Royal” Air Jordan I, a version that reflected that mixture.
Jordan wore the
