To move into the future of golf, Jordan Brand wants to shake off their past. They should do the opposite.

“The future of golf isn’t tied to it’s past”

That is a direct quote from Michael Jordan talking about the upcoming rebrand of the Air Jordan Golf line. And I have to say, I honestly kind of disagree. 

A few weeks ago, there was an event at The Grove XXIII where members of the media were invited to see and test out the brand new Jordan golf shoe, the Air Jordan Rev, as well as get an early look at the upcoming clothing line for this summer. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it, my invite was eaten by an alligator or run over by the Brightline or something. But, I have done much research on the new products, their designers, their inspirations, and their branding. While I enjoy what Jordan Brand has in store, I am cautious if the brand is moving in the right direction. 

The Air Jordan Rev is beautiful, sleek, futuristic, and full of crazy technology. It has a proprietary, righty tighty lefty loosey lacing system called Flight Lock, similar to the Boa lacing system, which we’ve seen on some Air Victory Tour 4’s, as well as a strap across the top so you don’t Zion Williamson out of your shoe during a swing. The craziest part are the interchangeable Formula23 foam and zoom inserts, which sit on the outside of the shoe. The air goes on the trail foot to really promote the feeling of propulsion when pushing, while the foam goes on the lead foot so you can drive into the ground powerfully yet comfortably. Its interchangeability allows lefties to switch them around to get the same sensation. 

I am honestly a huge fan of the shoe, I love the way it looks, and I am a huge fan of tech infused Jordans. I got the Air Jordan XXXIII “Future Flight” the moment they dropped, and I loved the lacing system on it, an innovative laceless system called FastFit. But, it faded out by the next model, and laces were back by the Air Jordan XXXIV. Once the Rev is out in the world for a little bit, we will be able to see if this technology is really as dope and useful as it sounds, and hopefully not just a $275 gimmick. I hope to get a pair soon to tell you guys myself as well.

Now, Jordan Brand is seemingly not slowing down on their retro shoes. This is the year of the 14, with multiple colorways confirmed or rumored to drop in 2025. But, I am nervous from that message that Jordan is going to slow their retros down. Michael Jordan was my favorite athlete growing up, and honestly still is to this day, if not in a top 3. Air Jordans, my favorite shoes, are my way of connecting to an era of basketball that I just physically was not around for. By the time I was born, Jordan had already won his chips, and most of his iconic models had already dropped. Through the sneakers, by waiting in line for Concord 11’s with the 45 on the back, or hunting for Infrared 6’s and Black Cement 3’s, I can be a part of that history, and feel a physical connection to the iconic moments I’ve only seen in reruns and dvds. That MJ and basketball connection is what made me fall in love with golf so hard in the first place. In freshman year of college in 2020, I wrote a paper titled “How Basketball can Save Golf”, about how basketball's influence on golf’s machinations and fashion, like the at-the-time brand new Eastside Golf, were about to change the way golf was looked at forever. My first ever golf shoes were the Air Jordan V Low Fire Red, and I remember being shocked with how many different models were available even then. Just 3 years ago, people would always ask me why the hell I was wearing 12 lows on the course, and I would just lift my foot and show them the spikes. Being able to wear my favorite shoes and connect to that history on the golf course is one of my favorite parts of the sport. Not just a way to get people to relive that history, but also a way to educate those who don’t know about these iconic basketball styles and moments through golf.

What really makes me nervous is the clothes. Michael Jordan is famous for having some of the most iconic golf fits of all time, and he was a worldwide style icon for most of his playing career on and off the course. The new clothing looks really beautiful, sleek designs but elegant patterns, athletic yet refined. But, nothing about it is quintessentially MJ. While I could imagine his style may have toned down over the years, a lot of what he wore in his heyday, I believe he only got away with because he was Michael Jordan. Now, we are living in a time where what you wear on the golf course is more diverse and unique than ever. While there are some beautiful UNC colors in there, now is not the time to move towards beige, brown and grey ubiquity, trading uniqueness for refinement, like so much of the world. No, I believe now is the time to double down on what made MJ’s style so iconic, the flashiness, the patterns, the colors, the strikingness of some of the ways it’s put together. Not just giving those who were there a way to relive that period of time, but to bring that period of time to those who were not there for it. This is especially pertinent given NBC going full into 90’s nostalgia for their upcoming 11 year, $76 billion broadcasting deal with the NBA, bringing back the iconic theme song, using AI to bring back player intro announcers, and even bringing Jordan himself onto the broadcast. With so many products and brands moving towards colorless, soulless monotone, Jordan Brand’s penchant for being forward thinking, colorful, at the intersection of futurism and technology in fashion, should not be conforming to this brand identity. 

Jordan Brand has always been pushing the forefront of what a shoe can be functionally and design-wise, but there is a reason the retros have been their best seller for so long. It would be cool if Jordan Brand announced this move as a “Jordan Reserve” line, so to speak, but to pivot the entire golf arm towards this new direction feels like they are moving away from the soul of what Jordan Brand is. The Air Jordan Rev is a welcome edition, as long as it lives up to the lofty claims of its technology (and price tag). For those who grew up on the highlight tapes, for those who grew up watching him live, or to educate those who grew up thinking he played against plumbers, let that history live on in the clothing as it does in the shoes. The way that Golf Projects so venomously said “Not just another retro with spikes” made me shudder; when did wearing Air. Jordan. Sneakers. as. golf. shoes. get so old and boring? Maybe I just have an oldhead mentality, but I don’t see why pushing towards the future means losing the past. Just as Nike brought back the “Seoul” 3’s as a remix, Jordan can remix their past, modernize it, bring it to this modern era, instead of, hopefully not, leaving it behind entirely.

 I am very excited for the release of both the shoes and the clothes, but I just remain a bit weary about where Jordan Golf sees themselves long term. Michael Jordan is such an important part of basketball, golf, and fashion history that I do think his iconic styles and footwear should remain the main focus of the brand, bringing those outfits and styles to a new generation while letting older ones relive that period of time. Why Jordan Brand feels it has to forego its history to introduce a new fold of clothing and shoe designs, I am not sure. Time will tell if this approach works, but I still believe that there is much more to Jordan’s past to uncover and bring into the world of golf, so many untouched models of shoes and fit inspirations, like how Sun Day Red reached into Tiger’s amatuer days for some of their designs. Instead of using their deep history at this modern intersection of golf, basketball, and fashion to show how they basically created this culture, they would rather change themselves to fit what they believe the new culture is. I guess if there is any positive to Michael Jordan’s ominous double down on “... the players, not the past, define the future of golf”, it is this; those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. I guess we’re going to be getting a lot more retros in the future.