Jalen Hurts Wears Hoodie With His ‘Banned’ Mismatched Air Jordan 11 Cleats Ahead of Super Bowl 59
Jordan Brand is making the most of its ongoing “banned” marketing efforts.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts arrived in New Orleans on Feb. 2, one week before he’s set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59. The athlete exited his team’s plane wearing a hoodie with an image sneakerheads are intimately familiar with.
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The image on Hurts’ hoodie was of his mismatched Air Jordan 11 cleats, which earned him a $5,628 fine from the NFL in December 2024 for violating the NFL’s uniform and equipment rules. The cleats were covered with black rectangles, reminiscent of Nike’s “Banned” marketing campaign promoting the Air Jordan 1 in 1985.
As the story goes, the NBA sent a letter to Nike in 1985 that stated Michael Jordan‘s black-and-red shoes worn “on or around October 18, 1984” violated its dress code rules. Though it has never been confirmed with concrete evidence, Nike has alleged for decades that it paid a $5,000 fine every time MJ wore the shoes. The Swoosh turned this moment into its “Banned” marketing campaign that remains relevant today. (Though the campaign promoted the Air Jordan 1, the shoe the NBA icon would have worn at the time of the violation was the Nike Air Ship.)
With the Air Jordan 1’s 40th anniversary here, Jordan Brand has revived the “Banned” marketing efforts. Most recently, the company released its star-studded “Unbannable” ad on Sunday — which included Hurts — that playfully answered the question “What if we didn’t pay the fine?”
The efforts began in December 2024 with Jordan Brand’s “Origin Story” animation, the brand paying Hurts’ fine for his mismatched Air Jordan 11 cleats and “banning” the shoes on MJ’s statue inside the United Center in Chicago where he won six NBA championships.
On foot, Hurts exited the plane Sunday wearing Air Jordan 11s.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
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