Discover the Jordan 1 '97 2012 TXT Gym Red
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.
Jordan 1 '97 2012 TXT Gym Red
Released in 2012, the Air Jordan 1 Retro 97 TXT is a mid-height, lace-up trainer. The Air Jordan 1 Gym Red colourway features bright red uppers with black accents, making it one of the most striking options in the lineup. Premium, textured leather uppers and black suede accents add an elevated vibe. Like the 1997 Air Jordan 13, the Air Jordan 2012 features puckered detailing on the mesh quarter panels. These shoes come with a range of branding elements - the tongue and heel feature the Jumpman silhouette, and a small tab between the vamp and the base of the eye stay says "Jordan". A holographic green Air Jordan wings logo sits on the lateral side under the collar, and the Nike swoosh cuts across the quarter panels.