The Chicago Bulls Ban the Shoes on Michael Jordan’s Statue Ahead of the Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 Bred Release

Published January 27, 2025

At the start of his career, Michael Jordan couldn’t have guessed how much of an impact he would make on the world. Not only do many consider him the GOAT of the NBA, but many consider his sneakers to be the best in the world. What kickstarted this multi-billion dollar enterprise was the Air Jordan 1, which MJ laced up in 1985 to begin his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. To celebrate 40 years of the AJ 1 and Jordan Brand as a whole, the company has teamed up with the Chicago Bulls to “ban” the shoes worn by Michael Jordan’s statue at the entrance of the United Center.

The black boxes that “ban” the shoes on MJ’s statue are about the iconic commercial for the Air Jordan 1 that aired back when Nike was releasing the silhouette to market for the first time. In the ad, Jordan is wearing a black-and-red outfit to match the pair of Air Jordan 1s in the Bred colorway he has on his feet. An announcer states that the model was “thrown out of the game” by the NBA, with two black bars covering the sneakers on his feet.

With Jordan Brand releasing the Air Jordan 1 High Bred in the ‘85 cut of the AJ1 for the first time and this year being the 40th Anniversary of the sneaker, they’re going all out in marketing. This “banning” of the sneakers on MJ’s statue goes hand-in-hand with the social media push made by the 23 retailers that will be carrying the model, the retelling of the story by Jordan Brand on its social media, the subsequent “banning” of Jordan Brand’s Instagram and X accounts, and the recent video of DJ Khaled receiving a special version of the sneaker that is limited to 1-of-23.

Though we all agree that the marketing here brings energy and hype to the release, we must peel the curtain back a bit. It's well known that the actual sneaker banned by the NBA on October 18, 1985, was the Nike Air Ship, which MJ wore in the lead-up to the debut of the Air Jordan 1 on November 17, 1985. The mythos of the “banned” sneaker have permeated sneaker culture over the last 40 years, with this kayfabe moment widely accepted by sneakerheads and the general public, allowing Jordan Brand to maintain this legendary marketing ploy. It should also be noted that the sneakers MJ is wearing on this statue are the Air Jordan 9.

While the Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 Bred is expected to release in limited quantities on February 14, 2025, this is only the beginning of the marketing around the 40th Anniversary of the Air Jordan line. With 2025 being a year-long celebration inspiring people to chase their greatness, expect more marketing efforts like this. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.