# Air Jordan > brand of shoes and athletic clothing designed, owned, and produced for Michael Jordan by Nike **Wikidata**: [Q420953](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420953) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Jordan) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/air-jordan ## Summary Air Jordan is a prominent brand of shoes and athletic clothing designed, owned, and produced for basketball player Michael Jordan by the American athletic equipment company Nike. Created in 1984, it functions as a core extension of Nike's broader footwear and sports equipment categories. The line became so significant that Nike established "Jordan Brand" as a dedicated sub-brand in 1997 to manage the products. ## Key Facts - **Inception:** The Air Jordan product line was created in 1984. - **Ownership:** Designed, owned, and produced by Nike, an American athletic equipment company founded on January 25, 1964. - **Sub-brand:** Operates under Jordan Brand, a specialized sub-brand owned by Nike that was established in 1997. - **Headquarters & Origin:** Nike is based in the United States (country code Q30), with its headquarters located in . - **Corporate Scale:** Nike operates within the sporting goods, athletic shoe, and retail industries, and has documented employee figures of 62,600, 74,400, and 76,700. - **Product Categories:** The line produces footwear (garments worn on feet) and sports equipment (objects used for sport or exercise). - **Official Website:** https://www.nike.com/jordan - **Alternative Names:** Air Jordan product, Air Jordan shoes, Jordans, Air Jordan product line. ## FAQs **Who owns and operates the Air Jordan brand?** Air Jordan is completely owned and produced by Nike, a major American athletic footwear and sporting goods corporation. It specifically functions under the "Jordan Brand" sub-brand, which Nike launched in 1997. **When did Air Jordan originate?** The brand was founded in 1984. It emerged out of the United States, a country located primarily in North America. **What types of products does Air Jordan release?** The entity produces athletic clothing and shoes, which serve both as fashion items and functional sports equipment. These products are marketed globally as garments worn on the feet and body for athletic exercise. **Who designs Air Jordan products?** Products are designed for Michael Jordan by Nike, involving notable industry professionals like Tinker Hatfield, an American designer and architect who has contributed significantly to the brand's identity. ## Why It Matters Air Jordan represents a paradigm shift in how athletic equipment, specifically footwear, is marketed and consumed. By functioning as an identification for a good or service directly tied to an elite athlete, the brand bridged the gap between functional sports equipment and high fashion (popular styles in clothing and personal adornment). It transformed athletic shoes from mere garments worn on the feet into culturally significant, highly sought-after retail commodities. The brand's massive success necessitated the creation of Jordan Brand in 1997, highlighting its vital role in driving the broader financial success and cultural cachet of its parent company, Nike. ## Notable For - Being exclusively designed, owned, and produced by Nike specifically for Michael Jordan. - Sparking the creation of the standalone "Jordan Brand" corporate division in 1997. - Existing at the unique intersection of sports equipment, retail, and high fashion. - Collaborations with elite American designers and architects such as Tinker Hatfield. - Serving as a cornerstone product line that helped propel Nike to its status as a massive American athletic equipment company. ## Body ### Origins and Corporate Ownership Air Jordan is an American brand of shoes and athletic clothing that was officially inceptioned in 1984. The brand's country of origin is the United States, a nation located primarily in North America which officially declared its independence on July 4, 1776 (subject of the United States Declaration of Independence), and had its independence recognized on May 12, 1784 (subject of the Treaty of Paris, 1783). The Air Jordan product line—also known by the aliases "Air Jordan product," "Jordans," and "Air Jordan shoes"—is entirely owned, designed, and produced by Nike. Nike is an American athletic equipment company that was founded on January 25, 1964. Operating out of the United States with its headquarters in , Nike serves as the parent operator. The corporate scale of Nike is substantial, recording employee figures of 62,600, 74,400, and 76,700 across its history. Nike dominates the retail, sporting goods, and athletic shoe industries. Due to the specific success and focus on Michael Jordan's lineup, Nike established "Jordan Brand" in 1997 as a distinct sub-brand to manage this specific portfolio. ### Product Design and Fashion Context Air Jordan functions fundamentally as a "brand"—serving as an identification for a good or service. Its primary outputs fall under the categories of footwear (garments worn on the feet) and sports equipment (objects used for sport or exercise). Beyond athletic utility, the brand is deeply intertwined with fashion, representing a popular style or practice in clothing, personal adornment, and decorative arts. A key figure related to the design and fashion aspect of Air Jordan is Tinker Hatfield. An American citizen, Hatfield works as a designer and architect (occupations and ), bringing structural and aesthetic innovation to the brand's athletic footwear. Through the work of creators like Hatfield, the products transcend basic retail goods to become significant fixtures in global fashion. ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqnGgTN0ajGp0LaoKkyxAxA) 3. Quora 4. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Air_Jordan-R9545X) 5. KBpedia 6. YouTube API