"When they go and make a Marquee shoe for Michael Jordan, they may take several years" - AND1 co-founder recalls matching Nike's sales despite David vs. Goliath battle

Michael Jordan’s perfect NBA Finals record with the Chicago Bulls made him the face of the NBA during his era. His year-on-year improvement and domination solidified his position with his Nike endorsement as well. To this day, the Jumpman brand – which is a collaboration between Nike and Michael Jordan – is making top money.

Nike was already big, via tennis stars, before partnering with Jordan and having a huge team of designers. Any other player entering the market in the 90s had a lot to consider given their competition had it all. That is probably why AND1 had to establish a niche market with streetball before they could even think about making it big in the shoe business.

AND1 became a big name in basketball circles ever since their mixtape business took off. To capitalize on that craze, they started touring different cities across the United States. With a sizeable following under their belt, they were ready to take on Nike. Soon enough, they started to flourish as a number two.

Co-founder Tom Austin took on the responsibility of the shoe business and recollected going up against Nike. The latest Netflix documentary “Untold: The Rise and Fall of AND1” gave us snippets of this competition.

“We had styles that would either outsell Nike or be number two to them. You know, if you're going up against Nike, they have 50 times more people in every department. And when they go and make a Marquee shoe for Michael Jordan, they may take several years. And we have, like, five dudes on design.” Co-founder Tom Austin said.

AND1 started making their mark in the industry, growing at a tremendous pace. Their shoes had designs that were new and appealed to the crowd, selling off the stores like hot pancakes.

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AND1’s all-time time bestselling shoe

When the company decided to re-enter the shoe business despite their previous disaster with Stephon Marbury, Tom Austin was now taking care of it. He had a clear vision for the future, which led to the creation of AND1 Tai Chis over time.

Tai Chis sported a multi-color red & white design. The company clocked $65 million in its sales, within 18 months. The shoes gained instant popularity among enthusiasts.

“I’m running my own little kingdom. Just gonna generate high-quality shoes, and if I keep doing my job, we’re gonna beat Nike.” Tom Austin said about leading the shoe business.

The biggest gift for the company came from NBA legend Vince Carter, who rocked a pair of Tai Chis during his 2000 Slam Dunk competition victory. It wasn’t an endorsement deal; Vince Carter was just among many other fans of Tai Chis and it worked in AND1’s favor.