Air Jordans | Calm Bedtime Reading For Sleep

Drift off with a calm bedtime reading about Air Jordans, designed to support sleep and ease insomnia through gentle learning. This calm bedtime reading blends soothing facts with a relaxed pace, helping quiet a busy mind and guide you toward sleep even on restless nights of insomnia.

In this episode, Benjamin explores the history and cultural impact of Air Jordans, sharing how these iconic sneakers shaped sports, fashion, and popular culture, all while maintaining a peaceful, unhurried rhythm. You’ll learn something new as you relax, with no whispering—just calm, fact-filled bedtime reading delivered in Benjamin’s steady, comforting cadence. This episode is ideal for easing stress, reducing anxiety, and helping with insomnia or sleeplessness as you wind down at the end of the day. Settle in, press play, and let your thoughts slow as you drift gently toward rest. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast,

Where I help you drift off one fact at a time.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Boster,

And today's sponsored episode is about Air Jordan.

This is a happy birthday message to Sam from Mom and Dad.

Stay locked into your dreams.

Air Jordan is a line of basketball and sportswear shoes produced by Nike,

Inc.

The shoes,

Related apparel,

And accessories are now marked under Jordan brand.

The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls on November 17th,

1984,

And released to the public on April 1st,

1985.

The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore,

Tinker Hatfield,

And Bruce Kilgore.

The Jordan logo,

Known as the Jumpman,

Originated from a photograph by Jacobus Rentmeester taken before Jordan played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

As Michael Jordan entered his rookie year in 1984,

He was approached to sign a shoe deal with Adidas,

Converse,

And Nike.

In their meeting with Jordan,

Nike centered its presentation around a highlight video of Jordan's famous slam dunks,

Scored to Jump For My Love by the Pointer Sisters.

Nike showcased the first design of the shoe,

But Jordan criticized its colorway.

While other companies saw Jordan as a figure for promoting pre-existing shoe lines,

Nike took Jordan's criticism into account to make him a stand-alone star and give him a signature shoe line.

On October 26th,

1984,

Jordan signed a five-year,

$2.

5 million deal with Nike,

Three times more than any other deal in the National Basketball Association,

NBA,

At the time.

In addition,

Jordan would get royalties from products sold by Nike with his name,

Which was at the time considered an industry-disruptive move.

Nike released the Air Jordan Sneakers line in April 1985 with the goal of making $3 million in the first three years.

Sales greatly exceeded expectations,

Earning $126 million in one year.

NBA policy stated that the shoes must be 51% white and consistent with the shoes that the rest of the team wore.

Failure to follow this policy resulted in a $5,

000 fine per game,

Equivalent to $15,

000 in 2024.

Nike designed the Air Jordan 1 based on the Chicago Bulls' red and black team colors,

Was only 23% white,

Which violated the NBA's policy.

Nike agreed to pay each fine,

Garnering both controversy and publicity around the shoe.

Fines imposed by the NBA on Jordan for wearing the shoes bestowed upon them an iconic brand and was later regarded as groundbreaking in part due to its defiance of NBA regulations.

Nike also took advantage of this marketing opportunity with the Air Jordan 1 band advertisement,

Which stated,

On September 15th,

Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe.

On October 18th,

The NBA threw them out of the game.

Fortunately,

The NBA can't keep you from wearing them.

Air Jordan,

From Nike.

The shoe sold out of the initial 50,

000 pairs and ultimately generated more than $150 million in sales.

In 1997,

Jordan and Nike introduced Jordan Brand,

Originally called Brand Jordan.

The brand has built a sustainable business model by releasing Air Jordan shoes and apparel and collaborating with popular artists.

In 2022 alone,

Jordan Brand brought in $5.

1 billion to Nike.

Of that,

A reported $150 to $256 million went directly to Jordan under his deal with Nike.

The Jumpman logo originated from a photo shoot Michael Jordan did for Life magazine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus before he played for Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Photographed by Coe Rentmeester.

Jordan posed in a manner identical to the Grand Jete ballet technique while holding a basketball with his left hand and wearing his Olympic jumpsuit and New Balance shoes.

Moore,

Who was in charge of the design team,

Came across this Life magazine issue and had Jordan replicate the pose,

This time in Chicago and wearing his Bulls uniform and Nike Air Jordan shoes.

The Jumpman logo has developed and gone through different changes and can be seen on sneakers,

Attire,

Hats,

Socks and other forms of wear.

It has become one of the most recognizable logos in the athletics industry.

Models Air Jordan 1,

1984 The first Air Jordan was produced for use by Michael Jordan in November 1984.

They were designed by Peter B.

Moore and released during Jordan's sophomore season with the Chicago Bulls.

The Jordan 1 Royal was never worn by Michael Jordan on an NBA court.

The black and red Air Jordan 1 has been re-released several times starting in 1994.

The red and black colorway of the Nike Airship,

The phototype for the Jordan 1,

Was later outlawed by then NBA commissioner David Stern for having very little white on them.

This rule,

Known as the 51% rule,

Was appealed in the late 2000s.

Air Jordan 2,

1986 The success of the Air Jordan 1 encouraged Nike to release a new Air Jordan in 1986 for the new basketball season.

Designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore,

The Air Jordan 2 was originally made in Italy.

In early tests,

Michael Jordan wore a prototype that fused the upper of the original Air Jordan with the cushioning being designed for the new model.

The Air Jordan 2 featured a full-length Airsole unit and a polyurethane midsole.

The shoe bore a similar silhouette to the Nike Air Python that would release the following year.

It featured a faux lizard skin and swooping lines that resembled the detailing of a sports car.

This design aesthetic would factor into the Air Jordan line later in the series.

The Air Jordan 2 was the first Jordan not to have the Nike swoosh on the upper,

Though Nike was stitched across the heel counter.

Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan 2 for a shortened 18 games in the 1985-86 season due to a broken foot.

It had several re-releases as the Jordan 2 Retro.

Air Jordan 3,

1988 The Air Jordan 3 featured the debut of the Jumpman logo.

Jordan Brand reintroduced the Air Jordan 3 in the True Blue colorway as an international-only release in 2009.

On February 15,

2020,

A red cement version was released in celebration of Chicago,

Illinois,

Hosting the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

The brand also debuted a Chicago-exclusive version of the colorway.

This pair features Nike Kai branding on the heel,

Replacing the traditional Nike Air branding.

Air Jordan 4,

1989 In December 1988,

Nike released the Air Jordan 4 to the public,

Designed by Tinker Hatfield,

It was the first Air Jordan released on the global market.

It had four colorways,

White-black,

Black-cement-gray,

White-fire-red-black,

And off-white-military-blue.

Nike featured director and actor Spike Lee in ads for the shoe.

Lee had featured the shoe in his movie,

Do the Right Thing.

Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan 4 when he made The Shot,

A series winner in Game 5 of the 1989 NBA First Round between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 2012,

A Cavalier colorway dubbed The Cavs was released to honor The Shot.

Air Jordan 5,

1990 The Air Jordan 5 was released in February 1990 and designed by Hatfield.

Inspired by a World War II Mustang fighter,

Features include a reflective tongue with a protruding design,

Translucent rubber soles,

And lace locks.

The Air Jordan 5 saw a lot of use in popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

During many episodes,

Will Smith wore the metallic silver,

Grape,

And fire-red colorways.

To pay tribute to his character,

Jordan released the Air Jordan 5 Bel-Air in 2013 and 2020.

Air Jordan 6,

1991 Designed after a German sports car,

Michael Jordan wore the 6 for his first Bulls championship.

The shoes were worn by the protagonist of the manga Slam Dunk,

Hanamichi Sagaragi.

In 2014,

Nike released special versions of the 6 featuring artwork from the series.

Various other models in the Air Jordan line are featured in the series,

Including the original Air Jordan,

The 5,

And the 12.

Air Jordan 7,

1992 The Air Jordan 7 introduced huarache technology,

Which allowed the shoes to better conform to the user's foot.

A few things were no longer featured on the new model,

Such as the visible Air sole,

The Nike Air logo,

And the translucent soles.

This was the first Air Jordan in the line that did not have any distinctive Nike Air branding on the outer portions of the shoe,

Only on the insoles.

When Jordan went to compete at the 1992 Summer Olympics to play for the U.

S.

Men's basketball team,

Also known as the Dream Team,

Nike released a special Olympic color combo of the Air Jordan 7 model,

Which had Jordan's Olympic jersey number 9 instead of the usual 23 found on other colorways.

Various models of the Air Jordan 7 were re-released,

Beginning with its 10-year anniversary in 2002.

Air Jordan 8,

1993 The Air Jordan 8 was released to coincide with the 1992-93 NBA season.

The 8th model of the Air Jordan contains a full-length Air sole,

Polyurethane midsole,

Polycarbonate shank plate,

And two crossover straps.

The 8s were known for a successful ad campaign in which Pugs Bunny appeared alongside Michael Jordan to market the shoes.

The shoe was re-released in 2003,

2007,

2008,

2013,

And 2015-2017.

Air Jordan 9,

1993 Originally released in November 1993,

The Air Jordan 9 was the first model released after Michael Jordan's retirement.

Jordan never played an NBA season wearing these shoes.

This model was inspired by baseball cleats that Jordan wore when playing minor league baseball.

The shoe was re-released in 2002,

2008,

2010,

2012,

And 2014-2018.

Like the 7 and 8 models,

The Air Jordan 9 featured an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents.

The sole featured different symbols and languages of different countries.

The Air Jordan 9 is depicted to be worn by the statue of Michael Jordan inside the United Center in Chicago.

Air Jordan 10,

1994 This was released in different colors representing U.

S.

Cities.

It was the first Air Jordan to feature a lightweight phylon midsole.

The shoe also featured all of Michael Jordan's accomplishments up to his first retirement on the outsole.

The shoe was re-released in 2005,

2008,

2012,

2016,

And 2018.

Air Jordan 11,

1995 This model was designed by Tinker Hatfield.

When the shoe launched,

Michael Jordan,

Retired from basketball by then,

Was with the Birmingham Barons in baseball's minor baseball leagues.

Hatfield designed the sneaker waiting for Jordan to come back and hoping he would play in them.

The ballistic mesh upper of the sneaker was meant to make the Air Jordan 11 lighter and more durable.

Further changes came with the use of a carbon fiber spring plate and the translucent outsole,

Giving the shoe better torque when twisting on the cord.

The best known aspect of the shoe is its patent leather mudguard.

Patent leather was lightweight compared to genuine leather and also tended not to stretch as much,

A property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the footbed during directional changes on the cord.

The patent leather gave the Air Jordan 11 a formal look.

When this shoe released,

Some wore this model with business suits instead of dress shoes.

The sneakers were only samples in 1995 when Jordan decided to come back to the NBA.

Hatfield and Nike discouraged Jordan from playing in them,

But once they were produced,

He couldn't resist.

Also noteworthy,

Jordan violated league dress code by wearing the shoes as his teammates wore all black shoes.

It wasn't the first time Jordan had run afoul of NBA footwear rules,

Having broken them with his very first signature shoe in 1985.

He was fined $5,

000 for not following the Bulls' colorway policy with the AJ-11.

After the fine,

Nike made him a pair of the shoes in a black-white Concord colorway for the series against Orlando.

Jordan wore Penny Hardaway's signature black Nine Air flight shoes for Game 3,

While said colorway was under production.

A similar black-white Royal Blue colorway was released to the public at the end of 2000.

The colorway was changed for the public release because the Concord Purple had looked like Royal Blue on television.

Jordan wore the Air Jordan 11 on the way to helping the Chicago Bulls claim the 1995-96 NBA championship.

He also wore the 11-white Columbia colorway in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game and was selected MVP of the game.

The shoes received more media exposure when Jordan wore the Air Jordan 11 model in the 1996 animated movie Space Jam.

These shoes were eventually released in 2000 and re-released in 2009 and 2016 with the nickname Space Jams.

The Concord Purple was changed to Royal Blue for the released versions of the shoe.

The Air Jordan 11 is one of the most popular Air Jordans in the series and is Hatfield's favorite.

They were also Michael Jordan's favorite.

Air Jordan 12,

1996 The Air Jordan 12 featured a rising sun motif,

Mimicking the flag of Japan.

Four different colorways were used by Jordan in the 1996-97 season.

During the regular season,

He wore either the Taxi White-Black colorway or the Chicago White-Red colorway.

On home playoff games and in the 1997 NBA All-Star Game,

Jordan wore the Playoffs Black-White colorway.

And on road playoff games,

He wore the Flu Game or Bread Black-Red colorway.

The latter colorway was most famously worn by Jordan during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals,

Hence its name.

Air Jordan 13,

1997 This model had a carbon fiber plate,

Designed by Hatfield.

The Black Panther was the inspiration for the Air Jordan 13,

With the sole resembling the pads on a panther's paw.

A hologram on the back of the shoe imitates a panther's eyes in the dark.

They were released in 2005,

Which coincided with the release of the Air Jordan 8's shoe.

In the movie,

He Got Game,

Director Spike Lee had access to the Air Jordan 13 months before it was available to the public,

Or even worn by Jordan himself,

And featured it in scenes.

Jordan Brand re-released the Air Jordan 13 at the end of 2010,

Which included the French Blue Flint Grey,

White Red Black playoff colorway,

And the Black Altitude Green colorway.

In 2017,

Jordan Brand released the History of Flight colorway.

This colorway is from the 2009 World Basketball Festival,

Where the History of Flight collection was revealed to celebrate Jordan's 25th anniversary.

In April 2023,

Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 13's,

From the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season,

Sold for $2.

2 million,

Setting a world record for the most valuable sneakers ever sold.

Air Jordan 14,

1998 Inspired by the Ferrari 550M,

Which Michael Jordan owned,

The Air Jordan 14 was originally released in October 1998.

It was re-released in 2005,

2006,

2008,

2011,

2012,

And 2014-2018.

The Air Jordan 14,

Co-styled by Hatfield and Mark Smith,

Was made race-ready and equipped with the Jordan Jumpman insignia on a Ferrari-shaped badge.

The color scheme of predominant black accentuated with red was nicknamed the Last Shot,

Because Michael Jordan wore them as he hit the game-winning shot over Brian Russell of the Utah Jazz in his final game with the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals.

There are 14 Jumpman logos,

Seven on each shoe,

Corresponding to the shoe's number in the series.

Air Jordan 15,

1999 This was the first shoe after Jordan's second retirement.

The design was inspired by the North American X-15,

Which was developed by NASA during the 1950s.

The sides of the 15 were made from woven Kevlar fiber.

The Jordan 15s were Hatfield's least favorite in the series.

Air Jordan 16,

2001 The shoe came with spats,

And the design was inspired by performance cars and architecture.

The ad campaign featured Mos Def.

Air Jordan 17,

2002 This pair of Jordans came with a multimedia CD-ROM containing the Air Jordan 17 song.

The retail price of the shoe was $200.

The defining functional design element of the Air Jordan 17 model,

Which was later replicated on the Air Jordan 23 model,

Was a reinforced midsole,

Which provided a sturdy and stable chassis for the shoe.

They were made in four mid-top colors and three low-top colors.

Michael Jordan wore the 17s while playing for the Washington Wizards after his second retirement return.

The shoe was re-released in 2008 and 2016.

Air Jordan 18,

2003 The Air Jordan 18 shoe was released during Michael Jordan's last season,

In which he played for the Washington Wizards.

The shoe was designed by Air Jordan senior footwear designer,

Tate Kuerbis,

Who had been part of the Jordan footwear design team since 1999,

And was Nike since 1995.

The inspiration for the design came from the carbon fiber-based monohook of the F1 race cars,

Race car driving shoes,

Rubber heel wrap,

And fine Italian dress shoes,

Bolt stitching on the soles.

It was re-released in 2008.

Air Jordan 14,

2004 This is the first Jordan release after his third and final retirement,

Which came after the 2002-2003 NBA season.

The design was inspired by the Black Mamba Snake,

And two original colorways were released,

White Flint Grey and Black Red.

Three regional colorways and three special edition colorways were released.

They consisted of the East-West and Midwest edition for regular,

And West-East and Olympic for the SE special edition.

The Air Jordan 14 used innovative materials.

The upper section of shoe was developed in collaboration with the Global Materials Consultancy,

Material Connection,

Who sourced Nike a sleeving normally used in architectural applications for protecting PVC pipes from bursting.

In theory,

This allowed for a shoe without laces,

Because a sleeving does not stretch.

Nonetheless,

The Air Jordan 14 model did include a set of laces behind the sleeves to better secure the shoe.

They are known to be the lightest Air Jordans ever made.

The shoes appeared on the sitcom,

My Wife and Kids,

In the episode,

Fantasy Camp Part 2,

When the protagonist Michael Kyle steals it from Jordan's hotel room and uses it to play against Jordan himself later in the episode.

Michael Jordan wears AJ4 Cool Grey in the episode.

The shoe was re-released in 2008.

Air Jordan 20,

2005 The Air Jordan 20 was inspired by low-cut motorcycle shoes as Jordan got into motorcycle racing.

The strap was placed in the center of the shoe over the laces.

It also helped to create a tighter fit and increase support.

The shoe was re-released in 2008 and 2015.

Air Jordan 21,

2006 The Air Jordan 21 model of shoes was designed by Dwayne Edwards and inspired by sport touring vehicles.

The shoe features lower foot air grills,

Double overlasted phylon midsole,

Carbon fiber shank plate,

And a seamless diamond quilted bootie.

It came with removable parts that could make the cushioning firm or soft,

And had techs that could be seen under a blacklight.

The Air Jordan 21 was introduced on television by the second generation advertisement.

Air Jordan 22,

2007 The 22 was inspired by the F-22 Raptor.

The promo commercial was directed by Mark Romanek.

Air Jordan 23,

2008 The Air Jordan 23 was designed by Tinker Hatfield.

It was the first basketball shoe in the Nike Considered category for using materials from not more than 200 miles from a Nike factory.

It features a hand-stitched exterior,

Full-length bootie,

Carbon fiber shank plate,

The last to feature interchangeable IPS pillars,

And an articulated chassis.

The shoe was released on January 25,

2008,

And was the last Air Jordan until the 28 to have Roman numeral identification.

The shoe was re-released in 2015 to 2016.

Air Jordan 2009 The Air Jordan 2009 was designed by Jason Maiden,

And was the first Air Jordan model named after the year of its release,

Rather than its numbered system.

Inspired by Jordan's defensive focus,

The shoe incorporates articulated propulsion technology used by Paralympian runners.

It also features a durable pleated silk upper,

Protective thermoplastic polyurethane chassis,

Carbon fiber arch plate,

And zoom air structure.

The shoe was released on January 31,

2009,

And has not been re-released.

Air Jordan 2010 This was released during the 25th anniversary of the Air Jordan brand.

The base of each midsole has stylized text that when combined reads,

I've failed over and over and over again in my life,

And that is why I succeed.

This quote is a reference to a 1997 advertising campaign with Michael Jordan detailing his failures that led to his career successes.

Air Jordan 2011 The shoe has interchangeable insoles,

A red one for power and a blue one for quickness.

Four colorways of the shoe were released corresponding with the 2011 All-Star Game,

White-black,

White-red,

And white-blue,

That represented the East-West jersey colors.

The Year of the Rabbit colorway was a limited release that celebrated Michael Jordan's Chinese zodiac sign.

The 2011 has a star constellation pattern that also serves as ventilation.

It uses patent leather wrapped around the shoe.

The shoes are hand-burnished and crafted.

A dress shoe that feels similar to the 2011 was reportedly the goal.

The shoe has not been re-released.

The Air Jordan 2012 offers six customization configurations.

Two interchangeable sleeves and three insoles adapt to different playing styles.

The Deluxe model was launched on February 8th,

While the Customization Flight models were released on February 25th,

2012.

It was the final Air Jordan model to be named after the year it was released,

As the number system returned in 2013 with Air Jordan 28.

The Air Jordan 28,

Designed by Tinker Hadfield,

Was released on February 16th,

2013.

The outside shroud was made with a Swiss fabric used for motorcycle jackets.

The Air Jordan 29,

Also designed by Hadfield,

Released in September 2014,

In both an elephant print and a knit edition.

The shoe debuted in the NBA by Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.

The shoe has a performance woven upper with areas that are stiff and others that are more flexible.

Jordan released two versions,

A regular cut and low version.

Some of the colorways released in low version are Buckets,

Chicago Bulls,

UNC,

And Infrared.

Air Jordan 30,

2016 The Air Jordan 30 was again designed by Tinker Hadfield.

The first colorway of the shoe released on February 16th.

The shoe consists of an upper and outsole similar to the 29.

The upper has a flyknit constructed ankle collar that overextends slightly.

The outsole has a more noticeable change with a different traction pattern while the midsole remains almost identical.

Air Jordan 31,

2016 The Air Jordan 31 is heavily influenced by the Air Jordan 1's having a leather upper and swoosh,

Jumpman,

And Jordan Wings logo.

Its retail debut was on September 3rd,

2016 in the banned colorway for the 30th anniversary of the NBA banning the Air Jordan 1.

Notable appearances of the shoe include the USA colorway worn during the 2016 Olympic Basketball Tournament by members of Team USA.

Air Jordan 32,

2017 The Air Jordan 32 was influenced by the Air Jordan 2 and included a Jordan Wings logo.

It first released in the Rosa Corsa colorway on September 23rd,

2017.

A banned colorway was released on October 18th,

2017.

Another special edition called the Russ colorway was released to celebrate Russell Westbrook's sponsorship with Jordan Brand.

Jordan Brand released two types of this shoe,

The original mid-length cut and low cut.

Air Jordan 33,

2018 The Air Jordan 33 was released on October 18th,

2018.

This is the first Air Jordan model to go laceless.

Air Jordan 34,

2019 The Air Jordan 34 was released on September 25th,

2019 with details such as commemorative date for the brand's 30th anniversary.

Air Jordan 35,

2020 The Air Jordan 35 debuted in the fall of 2020 with a distinct new shape.

The model focused on weight reduction for responsiveness.

An area of the midfoot had a hole to provide stability,

Bounce,

And comfort.

The Air Jordan had several collaborations with contemporary NBA players,

Including Jason Tatum and Zion Williamson.

Air Jordan 36,

2021 The Air Jordan 36 was first teased by German-American professional basketball player Satu Sabali via social media and made its on-court debut on March 25th,

2021.

Air Jordan 37,

2022 The Air Jordan 37 was released on July 28th,

2022.

Air Jordan 38,

2023 The Air Jordan 38 contains a cushion 3.

0 midsole along with a zoom strobel unit.

It was released on August 18th,

2023 for $200.

Air Jordan 39,

2024 The Air Jordan 39 was released in July,

2024.

Air Jordan 40,

2025 The Air Jordan 40 was released in July,

2025.

The shoes have made a large impact on the rise of sneakerhead culture.

In the 1980s,

Collecting sneakers became more common,

As well as trading and reselling them.

As new models came out,

More Air Jordans have become in demand and a significant shoe to have in collections.

Reselling Air Jordans have become highly profitable,

And hundreds or thousands of dollars are spent on rare sneakers,

Including the original 1985 Air Jordan 1 on StockX,

Selling up to $20,

000.

Upon the height and rise of the sneaker community,

The resale market is estimated to be worth $2 billion and is expected to gain $4 billion more by 2025.

The growth is due to collaborations,

Limited editions drops,

And other factors.

With the sneakers evolving over time and introducing new models,

The sneakers have been rising in value for collectors and becoming a staple in their collections.

Reviews

Nice topic for a drift into sleep. Thanks again Ben

Put me to sleep twice in the same 42 minutes. So much about a pair of shoes! Thank you, Benjamin.

These stories are 🥇 I managed to get through this story a bit farther than the rest but not much 😂 thank you so much for these!!! Keep em coming!! 🙏🏽❤️❤️💜💜💛💙🩷🌞🌞