Sugar Cayne
I have good news!!! Michael Jordan‘s infamously “Banned” black and red Nike Air Ship Pro sneakers are now set to release for the first time ever. I also have bad news!! The unreleased sneakers that kicked off the classic “Bred” colorway will be available exclusively at Italian retailer Back-Door Bottega this month. Yep these kicks won’t be available in the states………yet?
Press Release:
Finally, after 36 years, the shoes worn by Michael Jordan in his first official games with the Chicago Bulls have been brought to light by the Jordan Brand.
Back then, Jordan was forbidden to wear those shoes because of their colors that didn’t match the standards allowed on the field. Well, those shoes were not the Nike Air Jordan 1 but, actually, a pair of Nike Air Ship Pro!
So, from now on, they have a name!
That model was never put up for sale. It differs a lot both from the Nike Air Ship and the Nike Air Ship Pe that MJ used on the field during his first NBA games in 1984/85.
Yep, because Jordan wore the Air Ship Pro only for three games of the NBA Preseason at the beginning of October 1984, from 5th to 10th, when the Bulls were on the road to Peoria, a town near Chicago, to play the games.
He wore them for sure against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks and the NY Knicks and during all trainings of his first two months in Chicago.
And then he debuted in the Regular Season against the NY Knicks already wearing the red and white Air Ship Pe that would have accompanied him till the final debut of Air Jordan 1 on November 17th, 1984
The Jordan Air Ship Pro I am presenting you were very assembled by the Nike team of the time very quickly, because, at the moment of the sign of MJ with Nike, the company hadn’t nothing ready but their ideas.
Therefore, while the Jordan 1 were near to be completed, Nike used the upper of a Nike Air Ship and the midsole and sole of a tennis shoe of the Nike Pro Circuit and joined them together.
They didn’t use midsole and sole of a normal Air Ship just because too high and to heavy for MJ, who had never loved too altered shoes, always preferring mid or low.
The shoes banned by NBA and for which Chicago had to pay a 5000 $ fine for each game during which MJ wore them (fines lately payed by Nike) actually was this incredible piece of history that the Jordan Brand finally decided to bring back to light.
All I can say, speaking as a collector and big fan of Michael Jordan, is that I am really proud and excited for the choice of the Jordan Brand to give me and my store Back-Door Bottega the exclusive premiere of this masterpiece.
Out on the 7th of August, on Bottega Back-Door, stay tuned!
~Marco Evangelisti /Back-Door Founder
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