Why Michael Jordan was hesitant to wear black and red basketball shoes: "I can't wear that shoe; those are devil colors"

Michael Jordan wasn’t feeling the "bred" colorway at first.

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The story of the partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike is fascinating and full of unexpected twists and turns. In 1984, when Nike approached Jordan with the plans for his upcoming apparel line, which included his signature shoe, the then-incoming rookie balked at the plans, saying he did not agree with the black-red color combination, also known as "bred".

"I can't wear that shoe; those are devil colors," Jordan said.

The Nike Air Ship

Contrary to what many believe, the black and red pair that Jordan wore during the preseason of his rookie campaign was not the Air Jordan 1, but a sneaker called the Nike Air Ship. Even though Michael Jordan had concerns with the colorway, he decided to wear them, which didn't go well with then-NBA commissioner David Stern, who warned the superstar of a $5,000 fine for every game he would wear them.

"We told Michael and Nike that whatever shoe he was wearing didn't conform, so would they please change it," Stern said. "It became the shoe that was banned by the NBA, with the implication that it was because it made Michael such a good basketball player."

"It's like a young kid; when your parents say you can't do something, you want to do it," Jordan said regarding that curious ban.

Marketing genius

Peter Moore, the man responsible for designing the original Jordan "Wings" logo seen on the first two models of the shoe, said that Jordan had to first wear the Air Ship since his signature shoe would not be available until November of 1984.

"The Air Ship was basically colored up to look like the shoe that was coming," Moore said. "Those shoes were probably specially made for him to wear, and they were what his Air Jordans would look like once they came. Nobody would know the difference unless they had the shoes in front of them."