Most sneakerheads might be excited about the upcoming “AIR” film because of the Air Jordan origins story, but did you know that Michael Jordan was actually a die-hard adidas fan before he was convinced to sign with Nike? Yep, before signing with Nike, MJ wanted to sign with adidas. During high school, he actually wore adidas regularly, including two of the Three Stripes' most iconic sneakers, the adidas Forum and adidas Rivalry, among others.
If Jordan were to have continued wearing adidas into his college years instead of Converse (the University of North Carolina had a deal with Converse at the time), he likely would have laced up a pair that looked like this upcoming release. The Rivalry was one of the most popular basketball sneakers of the 1980s, and although it hasn’t received the retro love the way other models have, the style is spot-on for current trends. For this UNC Tar Heels-like colorway, adidas layers the shades of blue over a white base. More impressively, they’ve added a modern mix of materials that includes leather, mesh, and chenille stripes.
