Jordan

Take flight wherever you want to go with Jordan

The Jumpman logo, the cutout silhouette of all-world basketball legend Michael Jordan, first appeared on the third edition of his signature on-court sneaker, the Air Jordan III, in 1988. That year marked MJ’s second consecutive victory in the slam dunk contest and was special for several other reasons:

• MJ’s first league MVP award

• First all-star game MVP

• His lone Defensive Player of the Year award

• First league steals leader

What’s in a name

It was the second straight Michael Jordan basketball shoe that would not feature the familiar Swoosh logo, but it was the first for which Nike would make the bold move to replace that mark of greatness with Jordan’s Jumpman icon.

The risk paid off in such a big way that Nike took things a step further when it spun off the Jordan brand into its own wholly owned subsidiary in 1997.

Two years later, the Jordan brand branched out. Emulating the cross-sectional appeal of its namesake, the brand signed stars from other sports: Derek Jeter (baseball), Roy Jones Jr. (boxing), and Randy Moss (football) all associated themselves with Jordan’s mark.

Something for everyone

While the Jordan name always conjures up images of premium on-court high-performance basketball shoes, the Jumpman logo has carried this same feel to a wide range of products.

Nike/Jordan began re-releasing popular Air Jordan models in 1994 as Jordan Retros. And as popular as they were on court – and still are, as several pro ballers wear them in games – they’ve gained new life away from the courts. As casual options, from standard highs to lows to mashups of popular models, Jays have become a statement piece that mean you recognize greatness. Eastbay carries many of your favorite Jordans like the Retro 5, 6, 12, and 13!

You can find the Jumpman on accent pieces, too. Everything from shirts to shorts, to hats and backpacks, you can hook yourself up head to toe, or just go for hits here and there. Jordan can go wherever your style takes you, as long as you’re not afraid to fly.