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Michael Jordan is a former American basketball player and is considered to be one of the best players of all time. In 1984, Michael Jordan signed an endorsement deal with Nike, and together produced Air Jordan shoes. Air Jordans are typically classified with a release model class and organized in four types - Originals, Retros, Retro+'s, and Samples. In 1985, Air Jordan I was released and was considered to be a turning point in basketball shoe design. Similar to the Nike Dunk which was designed by Peter Moore, Air Jordan I has a comparable form. However, being extremely popular and stylish, the shoe was banned by the NBA because of its inappropriate color combination, red and black. The Originals were available with two sets of laces with one set for each color on the 'colorway' of the shoe. Including the Samples, twenty-three different 'colorways' were created. Even though the shoes did poorly in 1994, they were Retroed in 2001 and were sold out instantly. In 1986/87, Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 PPG and became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3,000 points in a season. During this time, the Air Jordan II was released which was designed by Bruce Kilgore. These shoes were the last Air Jordans that included the Jordan Wings insignia. Wearing the Air Jordan III, Jordan received his first NBA MVP and even won the Slam Dunk competition. These shoes were designed by Tinker Hatfield and were released in 1988. Much different from the prior designs, these shoes were the first to sport the Jumpman logo instead of the Wings. The Air Jordan III was one of the most popular shoes released from the models that have been launched. After the success of the shoes with the Jumpman logo, all the other models included the same logo which became Jordan's trademark. With a total of twenty-one different releases of the Air Jordan's, Nike took Michael Jordan to a whole other level of fame. After the originals were launched, the shoes were Retroed, and were launched again, usually doing better than the originals. Even though Jordan does not play anymore, his shoes are worn till today by professional and amateur basketball players throughout the world, making Air Jordans one of the most outstanding examples of celebrity merchandising.
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