The sneakers Michael Jordan wore in his first few games with the Chicago Bulls are finally set to be released after roughly 36 years. Italian retailer Backdoor Bottega is scheduled to launch the Air Ship Pro this Saturday, August 1.
Jordan laced up the Nike Air Ship Pro at the beginning of the 1984-85 season, prior to wearing the Air Jordan 1. He was infamously forbidden from wearing the former because the colorway did not align with NBA standards at that time. This ultimately led to a $5,000 fine for each game MJ donned the Air Ship.
The sneaker featured the upper of the Nike Air Ship and the midsole of the Nike Pro Circuit tennis shoe, as the midsole of the normal Air Ship was both too heavy and too high for Jordan's liking. It was never made available for purchase — until now — 36 years later.
"All I can say, speaking as a collector and big fan of Michael Jordan, is that I am really proud and excited for the choice of the Jordan Brand to give me and my store Backdoor Bottega the exclusive premiere of this masterpiece," said Marco Evangelisti, Backdoor Bottega founder.
The Jordan Air Ship Pro will be available via an in-store raffle on August 1, followed by a global raffle on August 3. Visit Backdoor Bottega for more details.
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