The two major features that set Nike Air Jordan shoes apart from other sneakers were in the design of the shoe itself, and in the logos printed on the shoes. The earliest shoes, released in 1985, were a leather base in both high top and low top varieties. They were the first shoes to carry the winged basketball that would come to be known as one of two Nike Air Jordan standard logos. This logo would appear on three versions of Nike Air Jordan Shoes, printed on either the side near the ankle or on the tongue of the shoe. When the fourth version was introduced in 1987 the logo was changed to what was dubbed the ‘jumpman’ a picture of a basketball player going up for a slam-dunk. This logo appeared on many places depending on the particular shoe. Sides, tongue and sole were all fair game for logo placement and the jumpman appeared on all.
The most unique feature of the Air Jordan line though was in the Nike Air technology. This allowed for a design that brought extra air into the sole of the shoe, creating a better cushion for the foot of the wearer. All of the Air Jordan shoes had this technology, but it became much more visible in the later lines. ...