Air Jordan: All Aboard!
By: Jeanette Knotts
Whether it’s a blizzard, raining, hail or a heat wave, you can expect to find hundreds of people anxiously lined up in front of the most popular sneaker stores on Friday nights waiting to snag a pair of Air Jordans.
People gathered on line at midnight, just before the release of the Air Jordan XI “Concords”
Courtesy of: Allan Brettman for The Oregonian
What makes these sneakers so popular? Well for starters, the creator of this famous footwear is Michael Jeffrey Jordan (also known as MJ), 6x basketball playoff champion, and probably the most talked about and well-known NBA players.
Currently, there have been over 70 different styles and color-ways of Air Jordan sneaker released. With effective marketing surrounding the first release of the shoe in 1985, it immediately became Nike’s most sought after footwear. During each game MJ played, he graced the court wearing a pair of his legendary sneakers, often defeating the opposing team with his extraordinary basketball skills.
The most sought after Air Jordan in the “Cool Grey” colorway
Photo By: Jeanette Knotts
Nike then marketed these sneakers by saying they were a key component to Michael’s outstanding performance.
The Air Jordan sneakers are released every other Saturday, attracting over 300 sneaker heads eagerly waiting to buy a pair. The lines for these shoes are usually formed the night before; with people literally camping out, spending hours overnight waiting for the store doors to open and deal with the demand of the crowd. Believe it or not, within minutes, the popular sneaker usually sells out, creating an eruption in the crowd of people who waited hours in line but failed to cop a pair of sneakers because it sold out in a matter of minutes.
The Air Jordan IX sold out in under 2 days
Photo By: Jeanette Knotts
Some people opt to stay home in hopes of trying to purchase a pair online, but these too are sold out in a matter of seconds.
The fact that these sneakers were created by one of the most successful NBA players in history makes these shoes the most wanted above all others. Not only are they stylish, they are marketed to make people think as though they can mimic Michael Jordan’s superlative basketball moves. After all, everyone wants to be like Mike!
