Air Jordan 6: the success story of a pair that honors the range
At the time of the release of the Air Jordan 6, Michael Jordan's sneaker line had already infiltrated pop culture on a large scale. Advertising campaigns with Spike Lee, prominent placements in films like “Do The Right Thing”, exploits of the basketball player on the court: the previous Jordans had already experienced limitless success. Let's discover how the Air Jordan 6 succeeded them!
The birth of the Air Jordan 6
The Air Jordan 6 was originally released in 1991 at a price of $125. It was available in 5 original colorways: white, black, brown, sport blue, and carmine. It was with the black colorway that Jordan made his debut with the AJ 6 during the NBA All-Stars game in 1991 in Charlotte. The design of the shoe was inspired by the lines of German sports cars. Except for the Carmine, all original colorways feature a fairly monochromatic look with color accents along the midsole and subtle touches. For this pair, Michael also began to influence the creative process of the shoe more. The sneakers are just as durable, with Durabuck leather molded for more lightness and perforated panels for more breathability. Jordan had complained about sometimes having difficulty putting on his sneakers with previous models, so Hatfield added a more exaggerated rubber tongue to make it easier.
A retro range that knows real success
It took Jordan Brand 9 years to start releasing retro versions of the Air Jordan 6, with the first wave featuring the “Black/Infrared” pair. Low versions began to hit sneaker stores in 2002, and a women's colorway was released in a lower version of the pair. This entire wave of retros starting in 2000 featured a Jumpman logo on the heel, replacing the Nike Air branding (which would remain the norm for over a decade). But the next big moment for the Air Jordan 6 would not occur until 2006 when Jordan Brand released its “Defining Moments Pack,” which included a version of the two sneakers that Jordan wore during the 1991 and 1996 NBA finals. One of them was the Jordan 6. From a design perspective, the Jordan 6 did not so much pave the way as it carried the torch. With a thriving line, it moved the range in the right direction thanks to a proven combination of innovation, style, and excellence on the court.
An effective advertising campaign with TV spots and collaborations
When the Air Jordan 6 was released in 1991, it was the last time that Jordan would collaborate with Spike Lee's Mars Blackmon character on television commercials, marking the end of a legendary adventure for the duo. Among the most well-known spots now is the one that gave birth to the famous “Be like Mike”. Even Travis Scott, Nike's current go-to guy, opted for the Air Jordan 6 in 2019 (with an Olive version of the iconic shoe). He performed his Super Bowl halftime show with this pair on his feet, even though the official release was not scheduled until October of the same year. The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 6 version featured a glow-in-the-dark outsole, a snap-button pocket at the ankle, and Cactus Jack branding on the heel.
An unlikely influencer with Jerry Seinfeld
While Kanye and others breathed new life into the Air Jordan 6 in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it was an unlikely sneakerhead who kept the Jordan VI in the spotlight on television: Jerry Seinfeld. He often wore the new Nikes during the epic Seinfeld run in the 1990s. The Air Jordan 6 was one of his favorites at the time, and it still is today. Even his friend and co-creator of Seinfeld, Larry David, has been spotted wearing Jordan 6s over the years. A pretty cool little anecdote about the sneaker: it appeared in Batman Returns. Michael Keaton's version of Batman wore a custom all-black pair of Air Jordan 6s, which featured matching armor attached above the shoes. The Air Jordan can thus boast the status of “Batman shoes”!
