Well, let me tell you, back in my day, things were simple. Shoes were shoes, you know? But then this fella, Michael Jordan, he came along. And Nike, they had this shoe, the Nike Air Ship. 1984, that was the year. Big year for shoes, I guess.
This here Air Ship, it was a basketball shoe. Before all them fancy Air Jordans everyone’s wearing today. This Jordan fella, he was gonna wear ’em. Part of some big deal with Nike, they said.
Now, them shoes, they was designed by a man named Bruce. Don’t know much about him, ‘cept he made them Air Force 1 shoes too. Nike, they wanted these Air Ship shoes to be the next big thing, after them Air Force ones. And they wanted all the players to wear ’em, not just Jordan.
They made some in black and red. Now, in them days, the basketball folks, they had rules about what color shoes you could wear. Something about matching the team’s clothes. Silly, if you ask me.
- These shoes were made for basketball.
- Black and red, they were.
- 1984 Nike Air Ship was the first one Jordan wore.
So this Jordan, he goes out there, wearing these black and red Air Ships. And wouldn’t you know it, they told him he couldn’t! Said they didn’t match the rules. They was gonna fine him, maybe even stop him from playing! Can you believe that?
Nike, they didn’t care none. They paid the fine for him. Said it was good for sellin’ shoes. You see a fella getting in trouble for wearin’ your shoes, you gotta have ’em, right? That’s what they was thinkin’.
And that Jordan, he just kept on playin’. Scored a whole heap of points wearin’ those 1984 Nike Air Ship shoes. Against some fellas from Boston, I think. He won a bunch of them awards, too. Most Valuable somethin’ or other.
They say he had some paper with Nike. A contract, they call it. Five years, it was. Long time, five years. But that’s how it goes with them famous folks. Gotta have a deal, you know? This Nike Air Ship, it was the start of it all. Before those fancy Air Jordans that people buyin’ now.
They had other shoes back then, too. Air Train, I think they called one. Looked a lot like the Air Ship. High tops, both of ’em. All the boys was wearin’ high tops back then. Fashion, I guess.
This one time, October 18, 1984, during one of them warm-up games before the real season. Against the Knicks. That’s when it all started, they say. With the 1984 Nike Air Ship.
See, before that Air Jordan 1, the one everyone knows. Before that one made all the fuss and changed everything, there was this other shoe. This Nike Air Ship. The quiet one, the one no one talks about much. But it was there. It was important, even if folks don’t know it.
Folks these days, they don’t know the history of things. They see the fancy shoes now, and they don’t think about what came before. But there’s always a story, you know? Even with shoes.
This 1984 Nike Air Ship, it’s part of that story. A big part. Maybe the biggest part, if you think about it. ‘Cause without it, who knows what woulda happened? Maybe no Air Jordans. Maybe no big shoe deals. Maybe nothin’.
So next time you see them fancy shoes, remember the Air Ship. The one that started it all. The one that got in trouble. The one that changed the game. It might not be shiny and new, but it’s got a story to tell. A good story. And that’s worth somethin’, ain’t it?
This whole thing, it just goes to show ya. Sometimes, the things that seem simple, they’re the most important. Like a pair of shoes. Or a fella named Jordan. And a year called 1984. When a shoe was just a Nike Air Ship, but it was about to become a whole lot more.
You young folks might not understand. But back in my day, a good pair of shoes, that was somethin’ special. And these Nike Air Ship shoes, well, they were the most special of all. Even if they did get that Jordan fella in a bit of trouble with them basketball folks.
Life’s funny that way, ain’t it? A simple shoe. A simple game. And a whole lot of fuss. But that’s how it goes, I reckon. That’s just how it goes.
