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‘Michael Jordan’s feet were soaked in blood thanks to the Air Jordan 1s’: When the Bulls legend went for nostalgia but ended up with cut feet against the New York Knicks

Arun Sharma
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"Michael Jordan made a mistake wearing the Air Jordan 1 against the New York Knicks": The Chicago Bulls legend went for nostalgia, but ended up with cut up feet, as shown in the Last Dance

Michael Jordan gave the world many iconic sneakers, but the Air Jordan 1 was the best.

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.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan almost left Nike, until Tinker Hatfield and the Air Jordan 3 came along!”: How Nike kept the Bulls legend and made memorable ads with Spike Lee

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.

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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.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan’s ICONIC mid-air switch layup is BASIC!”: NBA Twitter trolls Nick Wright for his daft take about the Bull’s GOAT

About the author

Arun Sharma

Arun Sharma

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Arun Sharma is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A double degree holder and a digital marketer by trade, Arun has always been a sports buff. He fell in love with the sport of basketball at a young age and has been a Lakers fan since 2006. What started as a Kobe Bryant obsession slowly turned into a lifelong connection with the purple and gold. Arun has been an ardent subscriber to the Mamba mentality and has shed tears for a celebrity death only once in his life. He believes January 26, 2020, was the turning point in the passage of time because Kobe was the glue holding things together. From just a Lakers bandwagoner to a basketball fanatic, Arun has spent 16 long years growing up along with the league. He thinks Stephen Curry has ruined basketball forever, and the mid-range game is a sight to behold. Sharma also has many opinions about football (not the American kind), F1, MotoGP, tennis, and cricket.

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