Nike introduced the first commercially successful athletic shoe bearing the name Air Jordan in 1985.
The original Air Jordan was developed for basketball player Michael Jordan and released by Nike in 1985. The shoe’s design, athlete association, and distinctive marketing helped establish a new model for sports footwear tied to celebrity athletes.
The Air Jordan line became a major commercial success and eventually expanded beyond basketball shoes into clothing and other products. Nike marketed the shoes through its Jordan Brand, which later became a distinct business unit.
The exact release history is sometimes simplified. Nike sold the Air Jordan 1 in 1985, while Jordan had worn related prototypes and other Nike basketball models before and around the product’s public debut.