Why does Michael Jordan’s $5 billion brand call certain pairs “Sky Jordans” instead of “Air Jordans”? 

Michael Jordan’s sneaker line is quintessential at this point – they’ve become the new Stan Smith.

Waiting in lines, waking up early, “copping” through bots and apps—the life of almost every sneakerhead today. The LOG Air Jordan means everything to the ardent followers of the brand. Almost a status symbol, people are willing to go to any lengths to get the latest release.

But there is one small, yet significant change to the shoe when you go down the sizes. If you’ve bought Jordans for kids, keen-eyed observers will know the difference. The logo says “Sky Jordans” in place of “Air”. Only for grade school pairs, not for regular pairs.

This practice has been the case ever since 1984-85, the first-ever release of the Air Jordan 1. OGs know about this and love how the brand still maintains its identity. If you see a Sky Jordan logo on a regular-size pair, you know you have a fake one!

Also Read: “All my friends were rooting for Michael Jordan!”: Shaquille O’Neal recalls how everyone was in awe of the Bulls legend

Air Jordans for the regular sizes – Sky Jordans for the kids – Michael Jordan remains the common denominator

What kids want is to look like their parents and other older kids—they don’t care about technology. Plus, it was difficult to manufacture air units for such small shoes. With those two limiting factors, Nike decided to give the kids another name for the logo while maintaining the design of the sneaker.

It may seem like false advertising at this point to the untrained eye—fake even—but it is not. Neither Nike nor the Jordan brand has ever claimed to have the same tech in them as the bigger pairs. The company has always aimed to have the best experience possible while giving some parity across the board in terms of design.

They are still Jordans and come from Nike. They are still endorsed by MJ himself. That should be enough for anyone to buy them, seeing how the 1985 OG pair brings back nostalgia for a lot of people. The newer ones may have updated designs for easier wearability, but the essence of a Jordan remains.

Also Read: Michael Jordan, who built his own $20 million golf course, had a very interesting take on Jordan Spieth