1984: Air Jordan Brand
Nike signed with Michael Jordan in 1984, the first commercial deal the athlete secured. Nike created the Jumpman logo for him in 1987 and by 1990, the Jordan brand commanded a 58 percent market share in the United States.
Jordan represents a revolution in the basketball shoe industry, a gold standard for signature lines. The annually released Air Jordan provided the variety necessary for a collecting subculture, and the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers street credibility as status symbols. The brand regularly generates more than $2.5 billion in annual sales for Nike and in some years has generated upwards of $3 billion.
