Michael Jordan gave the world many iconic sneakers, but the Air Jordan 1 was the best.
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Michael Jordan and sneakers – ubiquitous and unanimous. But what went so wrong for him while wearing one of his shoes? The Air Jordan 1 line was and still is one of the most popular shoes of all time, only behind the likes of the Air Force 1, the Stan Smiths, and the Air Monarchs. Debuting in 1984, the shoes have taken the world by storm.
When they came out, the technology in the shoe was revolutionary. Up until then, everyone played in Converse. Chuck Taylors or the Converse Weapons were the go-to choices. They had a complete rubber midsole and outsole, leather or canvas upper (based on the choice), and not much stability, but it worked for the players.
When Nike introduced the Air cushioning technology and added it straight into the Jordan line, people went mental. All of a sudden, a rookie Jordan had the best tech, the best drip, and the most hype. Fast forward 12 years, and the same shoes that once won him the rookie of the year trophy, were eating his feet inside out.
Michael Jordan should have had this YouTuber as his tester – he would not have had to endure pain in such an important game
Michael Jordan like every other person in the world got used to the niceties he was bestowed with. With each passing year, Nike provided him with the latest and greatest technology for his shoes, and he got used to them. And when he switched it up after wearing the Air Jordan 13 for so long, his feet couldn’t quite adjust to the basic AJ 1.
One of the many reasons is that he did not get enough time to break them in. Hard leather AJ 1’s usually take time to stretch, so wearing a brand new pair while running for 40 minutes on high intensity takes its toll on the feet. Plus Jordan himself was 12 years older – the feet weren’t as young anymore to take such a beating.
The other reason was that he has slightly mismatched feet. Jordan has sizes 13 and 13.5 feet, and he was documented wearing a size 12 for the particular game. Imagine having a leather coffin around your feet, with no breathability and prevention to stop the foot from moving around, while they are a full size smaller. Those poor toes were doomed from the get-go.
Every Athlete has to wear shoes that fit them right – Functionality over form is everything in a quick-paced game like Basketball
Basketball players have to take care of their feet the most – they are their bread and butter. The game may loom like it’s played with the hands, but if your feet are messed up, there’s no game altogether.
Michael Jordan should have realized that – being the ultimate professional and everything. Instead, he chose to make a grand gesture by wearing the same shoes that once graced the MSG, only to bruise and cut his feet up so bad, that his socks were soaked in blood.
