The Brief Nike’s Air Jordan 1 revolutionized sneakers in 1985, far surpassing sales expectations and redefining street culture. Then came the Nike Air Jordan with its high-top silhouette and bold color scheme. And so as a whole, collectively, anyone that played basketball always wanted to wear a pair of Michael Jordans." In a lot of ways, the Nike Air Jordan 1’s are a love letter to the city of Chicago. The Nike Air Jordans have lasted four decades, and the future of the iconic shoe is under the direction of a Chicagoan.