Adidas, Nike, and Reebok dominated the sneaker wars of the ‘80s and ‘90s, but before them it was Pro-Keds and Puma Clyde’s that pro-ball players sought out. Nonetheless, as impactful as these designs were, neither would be as paramount on and off the court as the Air Jordans. In an unprecedented event, in 1984, Michael Jordan signed a $2.5 million endorsement deal with Nike during his rookie year when he had not yet reached his “superstar status” and was not considered a commodity.