ÿþSeemingly by default, Jordan Brand began life in Jordan 6 1997 as the number four basketball brand in the world. That was not a bad start for the Nike offshoot  they were mostly buoyed by the success of the Air Jordan 12 and 13 and the newly unveiled Jumpman Pro  but Michael Jordan and his burgeoning company had other aspirations. Even though Nike Basketball and Jordan Brand were essentially under the same corporate umbrella (and still are), Jordan Brand was not going to settle for fourth place. Team Jordan wanted to surpass Nike in not just basketball shoes, but other sports as well. But in order to do that, Jordan had to reach out to others for help. Much like his early playing days, MJ did not have to rely on anybody else but himself in order to reach his individual goals, and the Air Jordans were in the same vein.

From Rod Higgins to Sam Vincent to Larry Brown, Jordan has been very generous when it comes to giving those in his circle of trust opportunities. Michael Finely made it into the Jordan cabal before he played a minute of college ball, let alone the NBA. As a googly-eyed high school kid, Finley played Jordan to a game of H-O-R-S-E and lasted longer than anybody expected. Earning MJ's respect that day, Jordan would show his appreciation years later when he Air Jordan XI made Finley one of the first members of Jordan Brand. Finley would live up to his end of the bargain, earning a pair of All-Star appearances and an NBA championship. Fun Fact: Like the ad and the smirk on MJ's face implies, The University of North Carolina was not a Jordan Brand school in 1997. Another North Carolina school proudly wore the Jumpman during the 1997-98 season, and thankfully it was not Duke.

Michael Jordan hasn't played in Air Jordan 1 an NBA game since 2003 and he hasn't played in a meaningful game since the 1998 NBA Finals so really, most people haven't seen him wear Air Jordans live in a very long time. He's still a public figure, but it's far removed from the days when millions would tune in to watch him play. As the young kids would say, MJ is "washed". Or at least he would be if he were any other athlete or celebrity. A new retro dropping every other weekend and an epic meme will do wonders for a person's brand. Every time a new Air Jordan is about to be announced or rumors start circulating about its existence, we become kids again. What will it look like? What groundbreaking technology will set the table again? Can it possibly live up to the expectations of past Air Jordans? More than any other sneaker, we are always curious about what the Air Jordan 1 Retro next Air Jordan will be.

The post-retirement sneaker game has been good to legends like Allen Iverson and Penny Hardaway, but only for the kicks they wore in their playing days. Nobody is sticking around to see a new Reebok Question or Answer or a Nike Air Penny no matter how hard they try to push it. But we'll stick around to see some new Js. But the world has also changed since the last time we convened to witness the launch of a new Air Jordan back in 2014. Under Armour has emerged and in their camp are athletes that simply win. Kanye West moved to adidas and dominated the sneaker conversation at every turn. Even Jordan Brand has changed with a greater focus on retros through their remastered initiative in an effort to keep up and stay relevant.

Michael, Tinker and Jordan Brand are always looking to the future and staying ahead of the curve and by doing so, we don't feel like the Air Jordan has hit a mid-life crisis (although you could argue Jordan as a business is already there because of their reliance on retros). Maybe when it turns 40 and hooks up with a significantly younger brand to breathe new life into them then we can talk about being "washed". What? Road To The Air Jordan 30 is a series of features from Kicks On Fire that will be taking a look at the Air Jordan's legacy leading up to the launch of the Air Jordan XXX. Check out the feature hub page here. ÿþWe all find ways to express ourselves. Whether it be through collecting sneakers, playing basketball, creating sculptures, or even taking it a step further and using our own body as a canvas, it is what makes us an individual.

The shoes were on display, all three pairs. The Air Jordan 32 Rossa Corsa, the Air Jordan 32 Bred, and the Air Jordan 32 Low in Black and Red. 10:00 pm  Once the unveiling commenced we were given a chance to try out the shoe on-court. The court where we played in was on the roof top as well.. Yes, the set-up was as Air Jordan 10 cool as it sounds. Jordan Brand gifted us a pair of the Air Jordan 32 along with some Jordan Brand apparel to match with it. We suited up, ran some drills and played a quick game to test out the latest and greatest from Jordan Brand. Not pictured, the endless amount of food and drinks, including an entire pig leg, yes pig leg. Edit: Shout out to russbegston for snapping a pic of the gigantic pig leg. My opinion on the shoe? I dig it. I've always wondered what our favorite retros would look like in a modern aesthetic.