"Facts" and Fiction - Comparing Jumpman '85 to Yeezy '15

“Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman
Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman”

2015 was Kanye West’s. Even Yeezy’s most ardent detractors would be forced to admit that a year – that began with a string of Paul McCartney collaborations and the release of his eponymous Boost 750 sneaker, then ended with the rapper-turned-streetwear-impresario claiming triumph over his previous paymaster, Nike, and sticking the knife into Michael Jordan’s “Jumpan” monicker – was a mightily successful one. SWISH is still nowhere to be seen, but the design and production of 2015’s most hyped fashion line, a range of sought-after sneakers and the creation of an actual, real-life human baby, means that whether you like it or not, Kanye had a lit and productive 12 months.

The release of “Facts” on New Years Eve as a bookend to Ye’s most diverse and prolific year was perhaps a warranted celebration. A letting of steam from a man who had felt wronged by Nike, when the Oregon sports giant had refused his request for royalties. Kanye’s decision to abandon Nike for adidas back in December 2013 had finally and unequivocally been proven a shrewd one. It is understandable, with these facts considered and off the back off a stellar 2015, why West would feel the need to claim victory. It is understandable that he felt vindicated. That he felt accomplished. That he felt the need to announce that he had made the right decision. It is debatable, at best, if Yeezy had really jumped over Jumpman however, and whilst number-crunching and bar charts can go some way to crushing this assertion, over 30 years of Nike and Jordan heritage means that it is only fair to level the playing field. To assert if Yeezy really can claim to have jumped the Jumpman in his first year with adidas, let’s go back to MJ’s first year with Nike.

Way back in the 1984-85 season, Michael Jordan was having a similarly fruitful and enjoyable year. Year One for Jumpman saw the North Carolina graduate drafted to the Chicago Bulls as a first round pick, in his rookie year Jordan managed 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting and won himself a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated, heralded by the iconic publication as a “Star” in the making. He would go on to be voted as an All-Star starter by fans – much to the chagrin of more established NBA names – claim the Rookie of the Year award and would guide The Bulls to the first round of the playoffs, where they were to be defeated in four games by the Milwaukee Bucks. This all came shortly after the small matter of claiming an Olympic Gold medal as a college player, under the guidance of the legendary coach Bob Knight. For Jumpman, before he was Jumpman, 1984-85 wasn’t bad.

Away from the hardwood and paint however, Mike was cementing a relationship that would last longer and become infinitely more lucrative than any mere basketball achievement. With Peter C. Moore taking care of design and bankrolled by Nike, Jordan unveiled the Air Jordan 1, a red and black basketball sneaker that would catapult itself and its namesake into footwear folklore, and the bad books of NBA officials. Banned by Commissioner David Stern for having little white detailing, and costing Jordan $5,000 USD every time he stepped out on court wearing them, the Air Jordan 1 became not only the key to a 5 year, $500,000 USD contract between Nike and the player, but also allowed the brand to market the Air Jordan as the shoe of the young outlaw and the outsider in coming years. On its commercial release the following year, the Air Jordan 1 had already achieved unparalleled notoriety within the worlds of both basketball and sneakers, and acted as the foundation on which the goliath that Jordan Brand would be built.

Back in 2016 and Jordan’s paltry $500,000 debut contract with Nike pales in comparison to Ye’s reported $10 million USD adidas agreement, complete with all-important royalties. It is only by returning to the start for both brand’s however that we begin to see how “Facts” may have gotten a little carried away with itself. Even when disregarding the three-decade-long history and heritage that Air Jordan is endowed with, when disregarding the fact that adidas posted a 7.7% drop in athletic footwear sales in 2015 whilst Nike’s sales rose by 17.1% in the same market, when disregarding that Jordan achieved greatness on-court in 1984-85 and that the birth of a sneaker icon was a mere by-product of baskets, there was no jumping over Jumpman in 2015. From Year One until now Jordan has remained the number one cultural icon in the eyes of sneakerheads globally.

Whilst Yeezy has filled baskets and cleared shelves in record time and began to shift the focus of the footwear market from traditional re-appropriated athletic footwear to a more fashion-forward approach, none of 2015’s achievements scratch the surface of the cultural impact that Air Jordan 1 had in 1985, and continues to do so to this day. When we look back on 2015 in 30 years time, after re-issues of original Yeezy colorways have dried up, their silhouette has been mimicked and bastardized by brands from high and low culture, and SWISH has perhaps eventually been released, then Chicago’s second favorite adopted son can begin to think about claiming to have jumped the Jumpman.

Read more on Jumping the Jumpman here and find out about the rumours surrounding more widespread Yeezy Boost releases in 2016 here.