A Look at the Jordan 1 Mid Game Royal 2013
The Air Jordan 1 is the trainer that started it all, marking the beginning of the most iconic lineage of trainers in history. In many ways, it's responsible for launching modern-day trainer culture as a whole - and it almost didn't happen.
History of Air Jordan 1
As the story goes, the year was 1984, and Chicago Bulls' rookie Michael Jordan was a hot commodity for endorsement deals, with trainers naturally being paramount.
Jordan had just come off a stellar college basketball season at the University of North Carolina. He wore Converse and was a personal fan of Adidas, so he took meetings with both companies, but they never reached a deal. It seems strange today, but at the time, Michael Jordan hated Nike - so much so that he refused to take a meeting with them.
He was persuaded by his mother, Deloris Jordan, to visit the Nike campus in Oregon and listen to their pitch. His plan was to go through the motions to appease his parents and agent but he ultimately left with a contract unlike any other.
Rather than walking in the shadows of established athletes like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (which may have been the case had he signed elsewhere), Michael Jordan shone in the Nike limelight. He was paid more than any other athlete with a trainer endorsement at the time. Nike made him the face of its growing presence in basketball, and gave him his own trainer line - called Air Jordan.
If you're a basketball fan, you might recognize the colours of the Jordan 1 Mid Game Royal shoes: they match the Orlando Magic team jerseys. That's because this colourway pays tribute to the Magic's 1995 NBA Playoffs victory over Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The black leather uppers feature bright blue panels on the heel, toe, and midfoot Swoosh. White accents and midsoles complete the high-contrast design. A silver Air Jordan Wings logo on the shaft and perforations on the toe add a vintage vibe. This Jordan 1 2013 design also features the Jumpman logo on the heel and tongue. On the outsole, the classic Jordan 1 traction pattern is engineered for multi-directional stability. The lace-up design and mid-height shaft offer support and easy adjustments.
