When you see that red and black silhouette, your brain probably jumps straight to Michael Jordan. Or maybe you think of Tinker Hatfield, the legendary architect behind the Jordan 3 and those self-lacing kicks from Back to the Future. But here’s the thing: neither of them actually designed the shoe that started it all.
Honestly, the guy responsible for the most famous sneaker in history is someone many casual fans have never even heard of. His name was Peter Moore.
If you’ve ever wondered who designed the Jordan 1, Moore is your man. He wasn’t just some guy in a back room with a sketchbook; he was Nike’s first-ever creative director. He was the visionary who looked at a skinny rookie from North Carolina and saw a global empire. In 1984, the sneaker world was pretty boring. Most basketball shoes were white, clunky, and looked exactly the same. Moore wanted to break that.
He succeeded.
The Man Behind the Machine: Peter Moore
Peter Moore didn’t come from a "sneakerhead" background because, well, that culture didn't really exist yet. He was a graphic designer by trade. Before he was making shoes, he was making posters and logos. He had this unique way of looking at athletes as superheroes rather than just guys playing a game.
When Nike signed Michael Jordan in 1984, the pressure was massive. They had basically bet the entire company's future on a single player. Moore was tasked with creating a "signature" look. It wasn't just about the shoe; it was about the brand.
He didn't do it alone, though.
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While Moore handled the heavy lifting on the Jordan 1's silhouette, he worked closely with Rob Strasser, Nike’s marketing genius. They were a bit of a chaotic duo. Some stories say they were the only ones who truly believed Jordan could be bigger than the sport itself.
That Napkin Sketch
One of the coolest pieces of sneaker lore involves the "Wings" logo. You know the one—the basketball with wings on the side of the ankle.
Legend has it (and Moore confirmed this in several interviews before he passed in 2022) that he sketched that logo on a cocktail napkin. He was on a flight back to Portland and saw a little girl wearing a set of lead captain’s wings she’d received from the flight attendant. He thought, "Hey, Michael flies." He drew it right there. That little doodle became the face of a multi-billion dollar brand.
What Most People Get Confused About
If you Google who designed the Jordan 1, you’ll sometimes see Bruce Kilgore’s name pop up. It makes sense why people get mixed up. Kilgore designed the Air Force 1 in 1982, which was the first basketball shoe to use Nike’s "Air" tech.
Because the Jordan 1 and the Air Force 1 look somewhat similar—the perforated toe box, the high-top leather build—people assume they’re by the same person.
Actually, the Jordan 1 was heavily influenced by another Moore creation: the Nike Dunk. Both the Dunk and the Jordan 1 were being developed around the same time in 1984 and 1985. If you put them side-by-side, they’re like fraternal twins.
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The Tinker Hatfield Misconception
Then there’s Tinker.
Tinker Hatfield is the most famous sneaker designer ever. He saved the Jordan line when MJ was ready to leave Nike after the Jordan 2 didn't perform well. Tinker designed the Jordan 3, the 4, the 11—basically all the "hits." But he didn't join the Jordan project until 1987.
By the time Tinker arrived, the Jordan 1 had already changed the world.
The "Devil’s Colors" and the Banned Myth
When Moore first showed the black and red prototype to Michael, Jordan wasn't a fan. He famously called them "the devil's colors" because they reminded him of NC State, the rivals of his beloved UNC Tar Heels.
He also thought they looked like clown shoes.
Moore didn't care. He knew that for the shoe to stand out on TV, it needed to be loud. At the time, the NBA had a "51% white" rule for sneakers. If your shoes didn't have enough white on them, you got fined.
Nike leaned into this.
They created a commercial claiming the NBA had "banned" the Jordan 1. It was brilliant marketing. In reality, the shoe Jordan was wearing when he got the warning letter from the NBA was likely a similar-looking model called the Nike Air Ship. But Nike didn't correct the record. They let everyone believe the Jordan 1 was the "outlaw" shoe.
Sales went through the roof.
People were paying $65 for a pair of sneakers—which was a ton of money in 1985—just to feel like a rebel. Moore’s design hadn’t just created a piece of equipment; it had created a status symbol.
Why the Design Still Works in 2026
The Jordan 1 shouldn't be popular anymore. Technically, it’s a terrible basketball shoe by modern standards. It’s heavy. The cushioning is minimal. It has almost no breathability.
But as a piece of art? It's perfect.
The way Moore paneled the leather allows for endless color combinations. That’s why we see "Chicago," "Bred," "Royal," and "Shadow" versions that people still lose their minds over. It’s a canvas.
Moore understood that a shoe is just a shoe until someone steps into it. But he also knew that the shoe had to be worthy of the person stepping into it. He gave it a thin sole because Michael wanted to "feel the court." He gave it a high ankle for support but kept the lines sleek so it looked good with jeans.
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It was the first "crossover" sneaker.
Actionable Insights for Collectors
If you're looking to buy a Jordan 1 today, or if you're just a fan of the history, keep these details in mind to appreciate Peter Moore's work:
- Check the Toebox: The original 1985 shape is slightly different from the "Retro" versions you see in most stores. The OG had a lower profile and a more dramatic taper.
- The Wings Logo: Look at the placement. On the original Moore design, the wings were tilted slightly differently than on the modern "Mid" versions.
- Leather Quality: Moore insisted on an all-leather build to make the shoe feel premium. If you find a pair with "Shattered Backboard" style leather, you’re feeling the closest thing to Moore’s original luxury vision.
Peter Moore eventually left Nike and went to Adidas, where he created their "mountain" logo. He was a titan of industry who changed how we look at our feet. Every time you see a pair of Jordans on the street, you're looking at his legacy.
Next time someone asks you who designed the Jordan 1, you can tell them it wasn't a basketball player or a famous architect—it was a guy with a cocktail napkin and a vision to turn an athlete into a god.
Next Steps for Your Collection:
To truly understand the design evolution, compare a modern Jordan 1 High OG to a pair of Nike Dunks from the same year. You will see the exact stitch lines where Moore's "team" aesthetic for the Dunk merged with the "signature" aesthetic for Jordan. Look for the "85" cut releases if you want the most historically accurate version of Moore's original blueprint.