How Air Jordans Sparked the Influencer Economy

In 1984, Nike was not at its prime. Sales had slumped and its shoes were anything but cool. Then founder Phil Knight had an idea. He harnessed the talent of players to associate their skills with his new basketball shoe. His chosen player? Michael Jordan. The rest is history – history that just became a major Hollywood movie.  

You could say Nike tapped an “influencer” before the word had been invented (or taken over by the insta-famous.) As for how much money Michael Jordan has made off of the brand, one recent report claims the pretty sum totaled $256 million – in 2022 alone.

The blockbuster Air focuses on Nike’s origin stories and its early bets on Michael Jordan’s appeal. For a more recent look at the life of a Nike shoe designer, look no further than our very own Biz Kid$ series. One of our favorite Biz Kid$ profiles coincidentally features a shoe designer at…you guessed it…Nike! 

Recently, the New York Times also took a look at what goes into designing a sneaker for a star. Check it out:

Even more recently (as seen in Fast Company) social media influencer, YouTuber, and tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (a.k.a. MKBHD) made his sneaker industry debut with his own design for high-top sneakers, crafted in collaboration with Atoms. The sneakers – named the MKBHD Signature Shoe – feature a sleek design paired with comfort and flexibility. MKBHD’s sizable social media following is being harnessed to drive interest and sales for the sneaker collaboration. The MKBHD Signature Shoe is available for purchase exclusively on Atoms' website. 

If MKBHD succeeds in his influence-fueled footwear line, he’ll have two people to thank: Michael Jordan and Phil Knight.