(Disrep)Air Jordan

As I walked through the skyways just now, I noticed three people sporting backpacks emblazoned with the following logo:

In case you just arrived here from… well, the moon, that\’s Nike\’s Michael Jordan logo. (Technically, this is supposed to be referred to as \”Jumpman.\” I\’ve never heard anyone actually use that term.) The Jordan silhouette has been used by Nike on their Jordan-branded gear since 1985. Pure marketing genuis in the mid- to late- 80\’s– in my middle school, the Nike Air Jordan high-top shoes (\”Jordans,\” if you\’re into the whole brevity thing) were much revered. Only a lucky few were able to afford such remarkable footwear, while the rest of us sullen proletariat were forced to trudge to school in our Asics, New Balances, and Nevados, likely procured from the Shoe Carnival.

This Jordan athletic idolatry made sense 20 years ago. Have you seen Michael Jordan lately?





He\’s definitely not at the Barkley level of roundness, and I\’m the last person to make fun of another\’s weight… but you think Nike might stop pushing fitness-related gear associated with a guy who hasn\’t seen a sit up in a decade.