How Nike's Jordan Brand used celebrity collaborations to overcome a dip in the rankings and keep its reputation as the most iconic sneaker brand of all time. From the moment it signed Jordan to today, here's everything you need to know.

Retail1 min read

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It all started with the Air Jordan I.

• In 1984, Nike and NBA player Michael Jordan teamed up to launch one of the most iconic athlete-endorsed brands of all time: Jordan Brand.
• During the years Jordan was still playing professional basketball, the brand would release a new sneaker with every season, and it was the shoe Jordan would play in that year.
• Kids who grew up between 1984 and 2003 - the year Jordan left the NBA as a player for good - were a huge part of the success of the brand, according to a sneaker resale expert.
• Just as fashion trends come and go, the brand's sales dipped in 2014. Matt Cohen, a sneaker collector and the vice president of business development and strategy at GOAT Group, told Business Insider he believed this dip was due to a shift in fashion and a lack of consumer connection to Jordan, the man.
• Collaborations brought the brand back in late 2017, and it's still having a moment today.
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