Air Jordan Logo PNG
In the world of sneakers, Air Jordan is a legendary brand. The line of basketball and sportswear shoes was inspired by the game of Michael Jordan from the Chicago Bulls. The name “Air Jordan” comes from Michael’s nickname capturing his gravity-defying grace.
Meaning and history
Back in 1984, when Michael Jordan started his first year of playing professional basketball as part of the Chicago Bulls, he was approached by three giants, Adidas, Converse, and Nike. Out of them, only Nike offered to make him a signature shoe line. The company went to great lengths to promote the product despite both them and Michael Jordan being fined for their defiance of NBA regulations. During the first year, in 1985, sales reached $126 million, while the expectations were only $3 million in the first three years. Later, following the above-mentioned fines, the shoe generated $150 million in sales.
What is Air Jordan?
Air Jordan is a line of sneakers manufactured by Nike, Inc. and named after Michael Jordan, one of the Chicago Bulls’ top players.
1984 – Today
The first emblem depicted a basketball with wings in the background and the lettering “Air Jordan” above. The most notable thing about the logo was the way the basketball seemed to be flying forward, right toward the viewer.
Other than that, the design seemed rather generic. The wings have been used as the symbol of speed in thousands of logos. It’s also not very clear how the banner with the brand name improved the design, which had already been rather cluttered. It appears that in this logo, Peter Moore, the author of the shoe and the emblem, didn’t reveal his potential to the fullest. Luckily, he had a chance to show it in the next version, which is now one of the most universally recognized sports logos in history.
1988 – Today
The emblem is so well-known that it even has a nickname, the “Jumpman.” It captures the arresting leap Jordan performed while posing for Life magazine in 1984. The style of his position is somewhat similar to the grand jeté ballet technique. In the original photo, which was published in Life, the basketball player was dressed in his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes.
Similar to the wing logo, the Jumpman was also developed by Peter Moore. Inspired by the photo in Life, Moore organized another photo shoot, this time in Chicago, where Jordan repeated his jump, wearing his Bulls uniform and Nike Air Jordan shoes.
The logo was released only in 1988 as part of the Jordan Three under the design direction of Tinker Hatfield. Later, Nike had legal problems with photographer Jacob Rentmeester, who took the 1984 photo, which inspired the logo. It was only in 2019 that the legal battle came to an end, the court decision siding with Nike.
There have been multiple subtle tweaks in the logo over the following decades, but the central part of the emblem – the jumping figure – has stayed perfectly recognizable.
Font and Color
Originally, Peter Moore used a type featuring tiny serifs. The combination of curves and pointed serifs somehow echoed the way Jordan himself looked: strong and athletic without the massiveness that often accompanies strength. We can even say that the original type is borderline elegant.
Later, the lettering was updated. It didn’t get heavier, but those graceful serifs were gone. The glyphs now look simpler, with a somewhat sporty feel.
What does the Air Jordan logo represent?
The Air Jordan logo represents freedom and power, which are depicted in the silhouette of a Michael Jordan in a leap. It is a graphical reflection of strength and confidence, which evokes a sense of almightiness and makes you feel that nothing is impossible.
Does Jordan own the Jumpman logo?
No, the famous logo, which the whole world knows as the “Jumpman” is owned not by Michael Jordan, even though it is his silhouette depicted on it, but by the Nike company.
