The Jumpman has gone global and is bringing the Air Jordan 5 “International Flight” with it. To be honest, the Jordan Brand has been a global phenomenon for a long time at this point and it is overwhelming thanks to Jordan himself, the one-of-a-kind, purest marketing force who launched the sport of basketball to international fame and glory.
In 1990 at the age of 27, Michael Jordan was at the top of his game in the USA with all eyes on him, as he and the Chicago Bulls were on the rise, energizing the popularity of the NBA to rival that of the other favorite national pastime sports of baseball or American football. Nevertheless, around the world, it was football (or soccer) that was the sport that captivated the attention of most and united the masses and it wasn’t until Michael Jordan, who wisely knew the influence of his reach, agreed to play an exhibition All-Star game in Barcelona with Spain’s ACB league in August of 1990 that things began to change.
Spain and the rest of Europe were abuzz and eager to get a glimpse of the great American basketball player who came over on an international flight to play a friendly All-Star game on August 30, 1990 in front of tens of thousands of fans in Barcelona’s famous Palacio de Deportes. Serious basketball fans and everyone they knew lined up at the ticket office and gathered inside and out of the sports arena. There were other great European basketball players playing that day, but it was Michael Jordan that no one wanted to miss seeing in person. Jordan ended up scoring 37 points and his team (the blue team) won the game, igniting even greater excitement in and out of the stadium and everywhere that aired the televised game. The bold blue and orange colors on his uniform that day are the colors that inspired this new Air Jordan 5 “International Flight”, a tribute to that day that Michael Jordan played in Barcelona that August of 1990.
Some might say it was the stepping stone that led to even greater international fame for the sport when Jordan and the Dream Team returned to Barcelona for the 1992 Summer Olympics. One could ask, what was it that made basketball become REALLY popular around the world? We think it’s pretty safe to say, Michael Jordan did that.
The Air Jordan 5 “International Flight” features a colorway that is not only a nod to the uniform Jordan wore in that exhibition game, but also a homage to the vivacity of the street art in Barcelona, the color of the ball in the sport that he made famous around the world, and the fiesta that Spain celebrated as fans held on to the memory of that game that previewed his 1990/91 season (the year of his first NBA championship).
The insole features an “Air Jordan International” graphic. The upper is in a Sail colorway for its base, eschewing the flatter White for something a little more interesting. The tongue of this Air Jordan 5 sports a Silver sheen with Blue accents. Other intriguing details include a Blue and Orange scheme underneath the shoe’s side netting. As is usually the case with most iterations of the Air Jordan 5, the outsole here is finished with sections of matte and translucent rubber.
The Air Jordan 5 “International Flight” drops August 4th — perfectly in time for the day of our new store opening in Barcelona! Get your Air Jordan 5 “International Flight” a.k.a. “Barcelona” in store or online here and let the memory live on!
