Sneakerheads huddle around your computers: Michael Jordan and Nike are celebrating Cyber Monday with you. On November 30th, Jordan Brand will release a special edition of The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Cyber Monday.”
The iconic show will feature a monochromatic black leather upper with a matching black midsole for a sleek look. While there are a few photos of common people wearing the “Cyber Monday” sneakers, his Airness gave the shoes their official coming out party. Earlier this week, Jordan Brand held a We Are Jordan event in Shanghai celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Jordan Brand, hosted by legendary sports journalist Ahmad Rashād. While on stage in front of thousands with Tinker Hatfield, the designer with the most Air Jordan sneakers credits, Jordan himself donned a pair.
Cyber Monday has grown to become a legitimate retail holiday, noted as the busiest U.S. online shopping day every year since 2010. Last year, Nike and Jordan Brand released the lightest Air Jordan ever, the Air Jordan XX9 “Legend Blue” on Cyber Monday.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Cyber Monday” are not the only way Nike and Jordan will try to pry those holiday dollars from you. On Black Friday, Nike will release the Air Jordan 8 “Aqua.” The original Air Jordan 8 “Aqua” colorway were famously worn by Jordan during the 1993 All-Star Game in his final All-Star Game appearance before winning his third consecutive NBA title and retiring — both for the “first time.” Black Friday 2015 will be the first time these sneakers have been released since the re-release in 2013.
Dedicating a colorway to the Air Jordan sneaker for Cyber Monday is not simply an opportune promotion, but part of Nike’s larger plan to transfer their dominance to the web. In 2013, Nike announced plans to have web sales reach $2 billion by 2017, though they only just crossed $500 million for the first time that year. Two years later, Nike’s web sales are on pace for that goal as they have nearly doubled from 2013 to $1 billion, largely thanks to the company’s NikeID initiative, which allows customers to design their own sneakers online.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Cyber Monday” sneakers will cost $160 and will be available for order on nike.com. Whether it’s a 3D printing patent or shoes dedicated to online holidays, Nike is gearing to pivot its business into a space where the secondary market is increasingly becoming the primary market: the Internet.
