GhostSnkrSquad

2016 AJ1 High Banned High

The story of the AJ1 Banned High is a legendary story within sneaker culture and NBA basketball history. It begins in 1984 when MJ23 signed with now considered the most popular basketball sneakers worldwide 🌐 MJ23 and The Sneaker Startup Company in Beaverton, Oregon was the First High Paying Sneaker Deal in Sports History and is was the birth of the joint collab of *the Most Popular and Most Hyped Sneakers even after 39 years later, The AJ1 High. One of the initial colorways was predominantly black and red, known today as the "Banned" or "Bred" (short for black and red). The NBA had a strict uniform policy at the time, requiring players to wear shoes that matched their team uniforms and included mostly white. The black and red AJ1 Banned Sneakers did not comply with these regulations. As a result, every time Michael Jordan wore them on the court, he was fined $5k per game. The Startup Beaverton, Oregon Sneaker Company saw an opportunity in this controversy. They chose to pay MJ23 $5k fine and used the narrative to their advantage, marketing the shoe as rebellious and bold. This clever marketing strategy fueled the popularity of the AJ1, portraying it as a shoe that Broke the Rules and a Sneaker Classic. The AJ1 Banned High became An Instant Icon, Symbolizing Defiance and Individuality. Its impact went Beyond Basketball, Influencing Fashion Trents on The Red Carpet in Hollywood and Is The Sneaker in Today's Sneaker Culture. Today, the "Banned" colorway is one of the most coveted and celebrated versions of the AJ1, representing a pivotal moment in basketball history and streetwear style which is worn worldwide 🌐.