Inspired by Michael Jordan’s Nike Shoes, ‘Air’ Received Two Golden Globes Nods — Including ‘Best Picture’
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The hit blockbuster film “Air,” a picture that details the tumultuous journey of Nike’s most iconic collaboration, has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards.
On the list unveiled today, the film received nominations for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for Matt Damon, who plays Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. For Best Picture, the film will compete against “Barbie,” “American Fiction,” “Poor Things,” “May December” and “The Holdovers.” For Best Performance, Damon was nominated alongside Nicolas Cage, Timothée Chalamet, Paul Giamatti, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeffrey Wright.
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From actor and director Ben Affleck, who stars as Nike co-founder Phil Knight alongside Damon, “Air” follows Vaccaro as he develops the Air Jordan shoe line now synonymous with the brand. In addition to assisting Michael Jordan’s launch into superstardom, the collaboration cemented Nike as an athletic shoe manufacturer that now dominates the space.
The Air Jordan 1 featured a high-cut shape designed by Peter Moore, played in the film by Mathew Maher, and was originally released in several colorways and variations. All sneakers were finished with the brand’s signature Nike “swoosh” and an embossed Air Jordan logo on the side.
The film, clear to the viewer through the choice of costumes, technology and verbiage, is set in 1984 and details the immense pressure Nike was under during this time. The eventual multi-million dollar deal with the athlete on his first signature sneaker was reported at the time as being a silver lining for the brand, which was struggling publicly with brand awareness and sales, as well as privately with budget cuts, layoffs and staff morale.
Despite not being nominated, Viola Davis has been praised for her performance as Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, who played a key role in her son’s deal’s inception and execution. Because of his mother’s involvement, in addition to signing a $2.5 million five-year contract (more than double what Adidas was offering at the time), Jordan received 25 percent royalties of all shoes sold with his likeness. This push by Deloris, which was singular to Jordan at the time, would soon become the standard for how all athletes approached endorsement deals in the future.
“Air’s” depiction of the Air Jordan sneaker line is symbolic of not only Jordan’s rise to athletic acclaim but of Nike’s growth to become the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. The shoe’s domination of the industry has quickly become a benchmark for success and a signature staple for the once-unrecognized athlete and small shoe supplier.
The two films that received the largest number of nominations were Greta Gewig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Both movies’ popularity skyrocketed after being released on the same weekend in July of this year, with fans flooding to theatres to take part in a “double feature.” The HBO series “Succession” also led on the nominations list for categories like Best Drama TV Series and Best Actor in a Drama TV Series.
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