Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike — and the Nike subsidiary Jordan Brand — undeniably changed how people look at sneakers. With the help of Jordan’s influence and popularity, sneakers broke into the fashion realm in ways they never previously could. And it all started with the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers.
But one thing is for certain: Adidas executives should avoid the fifth episode of ESPN’s The Last Dance.
During the fifth installment of the 10-part series, it was revealed that Jordan really did prefer to sign with Adidas over Nike. He loved Adidas’ shoes, but Adidas told Jordan and his representatives that the company couldn’t make a shoe work at the time … they didn’t even offer Jordan (!!!). So, he signed with Nike.
Ouch. That was honestly a company-changing missed opportunity. Adidas’ inability to make a deal work with Jordan opened the door for Nike to become the giant that they currently are in the shoe space.
That revelation deservedly had NBA fans roasting Adidas.
Yeah, that miss is going to hurt. At least Adidas still has, uh, Derrick Rose and Kanye West.
