In 1984, a new player entered the NBA with a future full of promise. From his first season, Michael Jordan was a noticeably talented player. Nike took a risk on the young athlete and signed a unique deal with Jordan to produce his own line of shoes. Jordan ironically had always worn Adidas up until that point but was swayed to the deal after meeting with Nike executives.

The original Air Jordan I sneaker was produced exclusively for Jordan in early 1984 and released to the public in late 1984. With their iconic red and black features, the original shoes were actually banned by the NBA for being too colorful at a time when all shoes were mandatory white.

The famous ploy by Nike at the time was to pay the $5000 fine that Jordan received every time he wore the new shoes on the court. This sparked news headlines and was capitalized into a TV advertisement which played off the rebellious aspect of the shoes.

“On September 15, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can’t stop you from wearing them. Air Jordans. From Nike.”

The first 50,000 pairs of Air Jordan’s (known today at Air Jordan I) sold out immediately. This marketing strategy – a quick reaction to the NBA banning – proved to be one of the all-time greatest marketing coups, driving more than $150 million in sales.