Nike Brands - Jordan (2024)

FAQs

Is Jordan a brand or Nike? ›

Nike and Air Jordan are not separate companies but rather two distinct brands under the same corporate umbrella. Air Jordan operates as a subsidiary of Nike, with its own dedicated team responsible for designing, marketing, and distributing the Air Jordan line of products.

Michael Jordan personified traits like resilience, dedication, and the dogged pursuit of success. Nike astutely recognized this and capitalized on Jordan's image to craft a brand that offered more than just shoes—it promised consumers a slice of the Jordan persona.

Fast forward and last year Nike grossed over $46 billion in sales. (If you're keeping score, the Jordan brand contributed over $5 billion to that total.) Two bets I'm willing to make? One, that Nike doesn't become Nike without Jordan.

The presence of the Nike logo on some Jordans is part of a strategic branding decision. While the Jordan Brand has established itself as a separate entity, it is still under the Nike umbrella.

Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under the Jordan Brand. The silhouette of Michael Jordan served as inspiration to create the "Jumpman" logo.

The Nike-owned brand is well-known among consumers from different generations, and 36 percent of Gen Z sneaker owners in the U.S. own Jordan sneakers.

Before the Air Jordan line was introduced, Nike had a modest 18% share of the basketball shoe market. However, the Air Jordan brand quickly became popular among athletes and sneaker enthusiasts alike, and Nike's market share soared to 43% by 1987.

4 The co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight, and his son Travis Knight, along with the holding companies and trusts they control, own more than 97% of outstanding Class A shares. 5 This allows the Knight family to exercise effective control of Nike even though it is a publicly traded business.

The NBA wasn't too happy about Jordan's flashy kicks and started fining him $5,000 for each game he wore them. But that didn't deter Jordan or Nike. In fact, Nike embraced the controversy and even paid Jordan's fines. They turned it into a marketing goldmine.

Back in 1984, Vaccaro convinced Nike to reach a deal with NBA rookie, Jordan. They offered him a 15-million dollar, five-year contract and created the now iconic 'Air' Jordan brand. "Signing with Jordan was the best decision I've ever made in my life," noted Knight.

How much is Jordan worth? ›

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has a net worth of $3 billion as of November 2023, according to Forbes.

Charlotte Hornets and NASCAR

As a result, he became a stake owner in sports betting company DraftKings, he's the co-owner of the Cincoro tequila brand, he has three locations of the Michael Jordan's Steak House, and is a co-owner of his own NASCAR team.

The "Jumpman" logo is owned by Nike to promote the Air Jordan brand of basketball sneakers and other sportswear. It is a silhouette of former NBA player and current Charlotte Hornets minority owner Michael Jordan.

The origins of the Air Jordan name are disputed. “Nike had just come out with this new technology for their running shoes called air soles,” Falk says in The Last Dance. “And obviously Michael played in the air, so I said 'I got it, we're going to call it Air Jordan.

The first Jordan logo was created in 1984 by Nike designer Peter Moore. At the time, Nike was a small company, and Michael Jordan was a young player on the rise.

The Jordan brand is owned by Nike (owned by the Knight family), as, at the time, the company was building its strategy to work with athletes to launch shows that could inspire consumers.

The "Jumpman" logo is owned by Nike to promote the Air Jordan brand of basketball sneakers and other sportswear. It is the silhouette of former NBA player and current Charlotte Hornets owner, Michael Jordan.

Now in its sixth decade, Nike owns a multitude of world-famous brands such as Nike Pro, Nike Golf, Nike+, Air Force 1, Air Jordan, Air Max, Nike Blazers, Nike Dunk, Nike Skateboarding and Nike CR7. It also owns subsidiaries such as Brand Jordan, Converse and Hurley International.

The answer is Peter Moore, the first Creative Director for Nike who designed the Jordan 1. As the legend goes, in a meeting in Washington with Nike executives, David Falk (Jordan's agent) suggested the name Air Jordan because of Michael's ability to gracefully soar through the air while making his famous dunk shots.