Nike Air Jordan Classic 91
This is a page created by HIT 104 students at UBC for our groupwork assignment #3. We are asked to examine an item we touch everyday and write a historical argument about it. We are group of five: Kristina, Rachel, Yuki, Jonathan and Kai. Our item is Nike Air Jordan Classic '91.
Introduction
Air Jordans Classic 91 is a sub-brand of the Air Jordans brand of shoes under the Nike Corporation umbrella. Air Jordans is a brand that was inspired and originally endorsed by famous, NBA legend Michael Jordan. The entire Air Jordan brand is now being sold by Jordan Brand through the official Nike store.
The Air Jordan Classic 91 has been revamped and re-branded since its first release in 1991. The shoes come in five different colors with layered colors ranging from the classic white/white-black to the instantly recognizable varsity red/black-white that Jordan himself has worn on and off the basketball court.
Top level analysis of the shoe reveals that it is made of a leather exterior with a lightweight, neoprene sockliner interior. There is a breathable, leather mesh insert that runs from the top of the shoe along with a leather bottom sole and a plastic air bubble inserted into the heel of the shoe for extra bounce. Even though the design of the shoe is now under the control of Jordan Brand, the branding of the shoe initiated from the celebrity status of Michael Jordan when he signed an endorsement deal with Nike in 1984.
The materials and origin of manufacturing reveals that the Air Jordan Classics are made in Vietnam. On a broader scope, Nike shoes have long been scrutinized and come under much public criticism for their manufacturing operations in Asia. There have been extensive reports of Nike abusing labor laws and even employing children to work in the sweatshops in Asia to drive profits in their manufacturing plants.
A closer look at the historical importance and the complex business practices of Nike to make the Air Jordan line, including the Air Jordan Classic 91, is needed in order to evaluate the circumstances behind Nike products. What is particularly interesting, is the organization and customer interaction over time when Nike first entered the fashion and retail industry. Despite the negative publicity Nike received from worldwide consumers against child labor laws and overworking laborers, Nike was able to grow from a small manufacturer to one of the largest, and most prestigious manufacturers and retailers in the world.
Historical forces
Multinational organizations that seek global and cultural integration through the manufactured goods and textiles like Nike choose to establish their large manufacturing factories in developing countries. These countries offer a large workforce but at the same time there are no government laws to regulate and defend the rights of local workers and labor unions. A close examination on exactly how the Air Jordan Classic 91 were manufactured and the historical importance behind the business strategy of large corporations will give us a complete analysis on the circumstances behind the production of the Nike Air Jordans. The decolonization of Vietnam, the growth of global economy are two themes that will be discussed to provide the basis of the production of Nike Air Jordans.
Decolonization
Firstly, the decolonization process that followed the ends of colonialism and imperialism in the last century was a force that created nationalisms, freedoms, and conflicts in South East Asia as well as in the rest of the former colonized nations. The decolonization, or an emancipation of colony, in Vietnam was made difficult by the French invasion in 1945, a partition between the North and South Vietnams, and the Vietnam War from 1959 to 1975. The country’s entanglement with the cold war delayed its declaration of independence until 1976, but even after its independence, the country lacked the social and economic systems that can operate free from the dominations of more powerful European nations. Many newly independent nations, such as Vietnam, sought economic and social stability, and therefore capitalized on all their lands, business opportunities and industrial enterprises, making room for foreign investments and operations by multinational corporations. Factories such as Nike factories in Vietnam are in-between places and cultures, where the West and the East meet once again in the post-colonial era. The employees and the employers lack shared values and ideas, and the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor (i.e. employees and employers) awfully resembles imperial ventures only with slaves replaced by cheap labours of the poor and densely populated local.
Growth of global economy
In addition to the decolonization, the growth of global economy has also been an important force that led to the production of the Nike shoes in Vietnam. The growth of global economy is essentially an integration of local economies into the network of global capitalism, where European educational and cultural preferences can be promoted. [1] One of its notable characteristics is its inherent nature of the informal imperialism. In contrast to the direct imperialism where political control is secured by military conquest, the informal imperialism is defined as “the domination of trade, investment, business activities that enabled imperial powers to profit from subject societies and influence their affairs without going to the trouble of exercising direct political control”. [2] Under this historical force, powerful multinational corporations such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Puma compete for the lands in the Orient to exploit their rich industrial resources of raw materials and human capitals. The advanced technologies of transportation and communication have allowed those corporations to extract wealth from the conquered just as the European imperialists did with the same technologies during the colonial era. As the historian Edward Said once wrote, “[today] the Orient is an integral part of European material civilization and culture.” [3]This force of expanding global economy has been so great that it has steered important national policies. For example, the Roosevelt Corollary, written in 1904, states that the United States has the right to intervene in the domestic affairs of nations if they demonstrate an inability to maintain the security deemed necessary to protect U.S. investments. [4] Such a political change on diplomatic approach has certainly created a base for the exploitation of foreign lands by the powerful corporations like the Nike.
Change over time
Launch of Air Jordan product line:
In early 1984, the partnership between Nike’s start-up, slow-growth business and celebrity status of Michael Jordan resulted in the infamous Nike Air Jordan running shoes. Although Nike had established itself as an early manufacturer and retailer of sport apparel, a decrease in sales in 1984 prompted top management at Nike to develop a new marketing strategy that would increase its market share in the industry.
Having noticed the remarkable popularity of Michael Jordan at that time, Nike cleverly approached Michael Jordan and proposed the idea of using his celebrity endorsement for their products. Initially, Michael Jordan was neither a big fan of Nike nor the idea of endorsement. At that time, few companies were willing to market their products using celebrity endorsement because it was regarded as a risky and expensive cost. In addition, Michael Jordan was contemplating two other contract deals from more well known larger brands, like Adidas and Converse. Fortunately for Nike, they outbid their counterparts and negotiated very generous terms of contract to not only secured Michael Jordan's celebrity endorsement, but also gave him direction and influence as a director over the project.
Micheal Jordan and Air Jordan
Nike Air Jordans gained quick recognition all over the world in the sportswear industry. Michael Jordan’s phenomenal success in the NBA helped ensure Air Jordan’s top position in the global sneaker market.
Air Jordan I
Air Jordan 1 is released in March of 1985. At that time, Michael Jordan was still a rookie player with little recognition in the basketball world. Air Jordan 1 was forbidden by NBA not due to its red and black color which NBA claimed that it is not the NBA theme color.
Air Jordan II
Unlike Air Jordan 1, there is no Nike swoosh logo featured in Air Jordan 2. When Air Jordan 2 came out, Michael Jordan was in his third year in the league yet he has already averaged 37 points per game and won his first dunk contest. As Michael Jordan started generating more and more attention, Air Jordan is also on its way to Air Jordan era.
Air Jordan III
The nowadays well-recognized Jumpman Logo made its first appearance with Air Jordan 3. It is a glorious time for both Michael Jordan and Air Jordan. Michael won his first MVP and the 1988 Dunk Championship. Meanwhile, Air Jordan 3 sold tremendously well when it is re-retro’ed despite its poor sale when it was first out.
Air Jordan IV
Air Jordan 4 is the first Jordan shoes that made entry to global market. The newest design which featured in netting, straps, and the face of Mars Blackmon on the back of the shoe lead Air Jordan to the top of the bestsellers’ list. The success of the product and Michael Jordan’s career go hand in hand. When Air Jordan 4 was first released, Michael Jordan was in his sixth season in the NBA, and already he has staked a claim as the greatest player in history. “In all my basketball fantasies over the years, I never dreamed the things Michael Jordan actually does," said Rick Barry who was a professional basketball player for Sacramento King.
Air Jordan V
The Five’s was first release in 1990 and is some of the most popular brand of Jordan’s today. The Air Jordan V model is known to have the best structure and design. The new design was called World War II Mustang planes mostly because of the unique design on the midsole of the sneakers. Needless to say, Jordan shoes are getting better and better with time. The Air Jordan V was retro’ed in 2000 with great market demand globally.
Air Jordan VI
The Air Jordan VI was released in late 1990. In March 2009, the high-flying Jordan wowed all the basketball fans Wednesday night with 69 points scored all by himself at one game. Air Jordan VI is also the shoes that Jordan wore when he won his first NBA Championship. As the 2000 Olympic game was approaching, the shoes were designed in mixture of blue, white and red representing the color of USA. With the increasing popularity of Air Jordan, the price of Jordan shoes are shooting rocket high as well. The shoes above are valued at $800.
Air Jordan VII
Air Jordan VII came out in 1991 with a lot of similarity to Air Jordan VI. What made Air Jordan VII distinctive from previous designs is the Nike Huarache technology used to create a shoe that really stuck to the consumer's foot. More Air Jordan VII was re-released due to the high global demand. Michael Jordan won his second championship and was a part of the 1992 USA Dream Team in these shoes. Unlike all the previous designs, the Olympic edition of the 7’s has a number nine instead of the usual 23 on the back of the shoes. Nine is Jordan’s number in the Dream Team.
Air Jordan VIII
The Air Jordan VIII came out in the season of 1992-1993 with a shocking design. The new model had a lot more details in its design. Nevertheless, Jordan won his third consecutive championship while wearing Air Jordan VIII and the shoes were a success then and now with the re-release.
Air Jordan IX
Air Jordan IX is the first Jordan shoes released after Jordan retired from NBA. From this point on, Air Jordan’s designs became a lot simpler than that of the Jordan 4’s to Jordan 8’s. Though Jordan is retired from basketball, Air Jordan still kept its high public exposure by making appearance in movies and celebrities’ photo shots.
Air Jordan X
The new design of Air Jordan 10 is so elegantly simple. Air Jordan 10 is also the shoes that Jordan wore when he made his return to his passionate career basketball. However, instead of number 23 which is usually engraved on the shoes, the shoes had number 45 on representing Michael Jordan’s new number after his comeback.
Air Jordan XI
Air Jordan 11 has followed previous two Jordan shoes and kept the design simple and classic. Despite the less fancy design, Air Jordan did not lose any attention as Michael Jordan presented the basketball fans his divine performance on the basketball court. He managed to lead his team to a championship, an NBA record 72 wins, and an all-star game all one year removed from coming back to the NBA. The new historical record Michael Jordan made in his career labelled his product line with words like “cool” and “outstanding”.
Criticism of Nike
Ever since Nike’s launch of the Air Jordan product line, the sub-brands swiftly became a star line up of Nike running shoes. The prices of a typical Air Jordan shoe rocketed to as high as $800 within its first release year in 1985. In the early 1980s, many large corporations, including Nike, slowly discovered the large amount of human resources available of the labour markets in Asia. In particular, Nike started to manufacture its products in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and China. Even though Nike bombarded the worldwide public with its sport concentrated brand message, negative publicity shone a significant perspective on Nike operated textile factories in Asia. The company was accused for offering substandard wages and using child labour in its Asian manufacturer factories. Several large scale human rights campaigns supported by grass roots and large non-profit organizations held to protests at Nike American office headquarters. In addition to the criticism published by the media, well-known film director Michael Moore also made a movie criticizing Nike’s exploitation of Asian labour. Regardless of all the public criticism, Nike’s business was barely affected due to Nike’s main market target is young teenagers aged from 16-18 who are not very influenced by the criticisms. Nike has been able to get away with its barely competent work conditions as it is considered to be the most dominant shoe brand in the world. Moreover, only a small fraction of interest groups and human rights groups have stood up to the shoe giant. Reports of children as young as 10 from Pakistan and Cambodia have been reported working in Nike's factories. These child labourers have been issued in the 1990's and even into the 21st century.
Factories in South East Asia in particular Cambodia faced significant scrutiny from human rights groups, as only a fraction of shoe prices were going towards incredibly low wages. Nikewatch and Clean Clothes campaign are two such groups which have done rigorous investigations on Nike. Tim Connor of NikeWatch said: "On finishing work in a Nike contract factory, the great majority of Nike workers will go back to rural areas marked by extreme poverty. Their future economic security is very much tied up with what they earn now, in that if they are able to save enough they will be able to start small informal businesses back home.”
Nike has faced countless criticisms for the small amounts of money it contributes to charities in contrast to the huge amounts it pays out to endorsements with famous sports athletes. In 1998 Nike paid Michael Jordan $45 million for endorsements especially the Nike Air Jordan Classic line of shoes which had been extremely popular still. Nike also paid Tiger Woods $28 million that year. In contrast it only spent $100,000 on continuing education programs from 1998-2002 and only $150,000 on small loans to unemployed and disadvantaged people.
"At the 1997 meeting of Business for Social Responsibility a Nike representative showed a video of happy workers in a Vietnamese factory. 'Unfortunately for Nike, two days later - while the conference was still going on - a story appeared on the front page of The New York Times about conditions in Vietnamese Nike plants where workers were being exposed to carcinogens at 177 times safe levels, and were being paid just $10 for a 65-hour work week" (Beder 2002)
References
- ↑ Bentley, J., Ziengler, H., Streets, H., "An Age of Revolution, Industry, and Empire 1750-1914" Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History :pg80 the U.S.: McGraw-Hill Companies 2008 ISBN 0070123063
- ↑ Bentley, J., Ziengler, H., Streets, H., "An Age of Revolution, Industry, and Empire 1750-1914" Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History :pg80 the U.S.: McGraw-Hill Companies 2008 ISBN 0070123063
- ↑ Said, Edward W., "Orientalism", in Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin, eds., The Post-colonial Studies Reader: pg87 London and New York: Routledge, 1995 ISBN 0415096227
- ↑ Bentley, J., Ziengler, H., Streets, H., "An Age of Revolution, Industry, and Empire 1750-1914" Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History :pg96 the U.S.: McGraw-Hill Companies 2008 ISBN 0070123063
External links
Nike's Cheap Labour - Tim Glenn on labour rights
FAQ about Nike - Global Exchange's criticism to Nike
Micheal Jordan on Nike(Video)- CNBC interview with Micheal Jordan
Nike Collectors(Video) - CNBC clip about Nike collectors