Why Nike Air Jordans are so expensive

This is the Jordan 1 Retro Fragment. It originally retailed for $185 in 2014. But today a pair can resell for up to $2,000.Get more news about air jordan womens running shoes,you can vist ajsize.com!

And this is the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Core Black/Red, which retailed at $220 in 2016 and now resells for $900. The Fragment's resale value more than doubles its competition. These shoes were both sold in limited releases, so why did Jordans become so much more expensive?

It all has to do with the value of the Jordan brand and how it makes and markets its iconic sneakers.

Matt Powell: The fact that it's made in China where the tariffs are higher, made in the best factories, made with more material (basketball shoes tend to use more material than a running shoe), and then trying to be as close to the original product are all things that have driven prices up there.

Narrator: According to Matt's research, the average price of a basketball sneaker is about $110, while a Jordan's average price is about $145. To understand why Jordan Brand can charge more, let's go all the way back to the beginning, before the Jordan 1 was introduced.

Before the 1984-85 season, Nike signed an unproven MJ to a five-year deal worth more than three times the richest contract at that point. But that wasn't the only unusual decision Nike made while launching the Air Jordan brand. The Air Jordan 1 swapped the standard white upper for a black one, which violated the NBA's uniform policy and resulted in a $5,000 fine per game.

Announcer: On September 15, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe. On October 18, the NBA threw them out of the game. Nike recognized this unique marketing opportunity and footed Mike's bill as he went on to win Rookie of the Year, playing every game in his banned namesake sneaker.

Amir Ismael: It just showed that he was rebellious, and it was something that people gravitated to, and they wanted to wear them too. It was like first sneaker that really shook up sneaker culture. I think it's the shoe that catapulted sneakers to where they are today, because it was the first shoe that people saw and wanted more than the average shoe.

Narrator: Mike's success as a rookie made a big impact on Nike's bottom line. The original Jordan 1 hit stores across America in March 1985, priced at $65. And at the end of the year, the Air Jordan franchise had made $100 million in revenue.

The Air Jordan 2 wasn't as successful. After just 18 games in his new design, Jordan suffered a season-ending broken foot. Reports surfaced about Mike being unhappy and looking to jump ship to Adidas. The Air Jordan 3 became a crucial crossroads for Jordan and Nike.

Enter Tinker Hatfield. Today, he's known as the architect of modern sneaker design. Back then, he was known for innovating Nike's Air Max technology. His Jordan 3 design became legendary. It pioneered the first-ever mid-cut basketball sneaker, included elephant-print overlays, and immortalized His Airness in the Jumpman logo. And Tinker incorporated his Air Max technology into the sole.