If you’ve been playing the game of basketball in any capacity, you’ve likely gone to the shoe store and had to decide which pair of shoes you thought was the one for you. You may have even seen NBA players have their own custom design, which may have had an influence on your purchase. The brands that make these products have built empires off this line of business and have loyal customers that won’t by from any other brand.
In this article, we will be discussing two of the most iconic basketball shoe brands out there, Jordan and AND1. Both are household names by global standards and are known for their uniqueness, quality, and perceived value We will look at each from a few different angles, including presence in the NBA, general popularity, and price.
Do more NBA players wear Jordan or AND1?
Based on today’s sponsorships and preferences in the league, Jordan is the more popular brand amongst NBA players than AND1. Whether you’re just starting out in basketball, or have been playing for a number of years, you likely have gone shoe shopping and have looked at what shoe your favorite basketball player is currently wearing. It’s not only a symbol of pride to wear the same pair as your idol, but a sign of similar gameplay and style. It is a part of a ball player’s identity and is more than just what’s on your feet.
Below, we have created two tables listing out some of the more notable current and previous sponsorships with Jordan and AND1. We have also added what shoe each player is most associated with; this can be a signature shoe, a shoe they’ve done something iconic in, or a shoe they just frequently wear.
Professionals Sponsored by AND1
| NBA Player | Associated AND 1 Shoe | Current / Previous Sponsorship (July 2022) |
| Norman Powell | AND1 Attack 2.0 | Current |
| Fred VanVleet | AND1 Attack 2.0 | Previous; Signed with Li-Ning in Nov 2020 |
| Jevon Carter | AND1 Attack 2.0 | Previous; Not currently sponsored by any brand |
| Lance Stephenson | AND1 Tai Chi 3 | Previous; Not currently sponsored by any brand |
| Vince Carter | AND1 Tai Chi | Previous; Player is retired |
| Kevin Garnett | AND1 KG 2 | Previous; Player is retired |
| Chauncey Billups | AND1 Rise Mid | Previous; Player is retired |
| Stephon Marbury | AND1 Coney Island Classic | Previous; Player is retired |
| Rafer Alston | AND1 Cubic Mid | Previous; Player is retired |
| Ben Wallace | AND1 Chosen One Mid | Previous; Player is retired |
| Larry Hughes | AND1 Silky Smooth | Previous; Player is retired |
| Jamal Crawford | AND1 Silky Smooth | Previous; Player is retired |
| Latrell Sprewell | AND1 Mad Game | Previous; Player is retired |
| Shawn Marion | AND1 Quest Mid | Previous; Player is retired |
| Desmond Mason | AND1 Quest Mid | Previous; Player is retired |
Professionals Sponsored by Jordan
| NBA Player | Associated Jordan Shoe | Current / Previous Sponsorship (July 2022) |
| Luka Dončič | Air Jordan Luka 1 | Current |
| Chris Paul | Air Jordan CP3 | Current |
| Carmelo Anthony | Air Jordan Melo 1.5 | Current |
| Zion Williamson | Air Jordan Zion 1 | Current |
| Russell Westbrook | Air Jordan Why Not Zer0.1 | Current |
| Bradley Beal | Air Jordan React Elevation | Current |
| Bam Adebayo | Air Jordan React Elevation | Current |
| Jayson Tatum | Air Jordan 36 | Current |
| Victor Oladipo | Air Jordan 36 | Current |
| Mike Conley, Jr. | Air Jordan 36 | Current |
| Kemba Walker | Air Jordan 35 | Current |
| Blake Griffin | Air Jordan 35 | Current |
| Tim Hardaway, Jr. | Air Jordan 35 | Current |
| Andre Drummond | Air Jordan 10 Retro | Current |
| Michael Jordan | Air Jordan I | Previous; Player is retired |
| Dwayne Wade | Air Jordan Fly Wade | Previous; Player is retired |
| Ray Allen | Air Jordan 17 | Previous; Player is retired |
| Derek Anderson | Air Jordan Jumpman Team 1 | Previous; Player is retired |
| Vin Baker | Air Jordan Jumpman Vindicate | Previous; Player is retired |
| Michael Finley | Air Jordan 16 | Previous; Player is retired |
Is Jordan more popular than AND1?
Jordan is a much bigger and a much more popular brand than AND1 by several standards. Although arguments can be made for both sides as to which brand is considered more popular, the talking points tend to be subjective. Depending on the players you follow or idolize, as well as the brand you may have grown up with, your decision may be one that is set in stone.
The best alternative to this, however, is to try and make the argument as objective as possible. We can do just that by looking at each brand’s revenue. We will use 2019 as our base period since it is the most recent year that companies had a “normal” business cycle before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
As of December 31st, 2019, the Sequential Brands Group (SBG), owner of the AND1 brand, made a total of about $102 million. Unfortunately, their financial statements don’t break down which lines of business made how much money, but we know for certain that AND1’s revenue cannot be more than the number above.
As of May 31st, 2019 (Nike’s fiscal year runs differently than that of SBG, but still includes an entire year’s worth of financials), the Jordan brand made over $3.1 billion. Yes, that is billion with a capital B. This number eclipses SBG’s entire income, let alone the AND1 brand. Separately, SBG had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which also gives an indication of how well the company has been doing financially.
In addition to the financials, we saw just how many NBA players are signed with both brands. The Jordan brand dominates the sponsorship space in the professional league for a few reasons. Firstly, its basketball shoes are ones that current NBA players have grown up using and loving, so many players like to stick with what’s familiar to them. Secondly, for those players lucky enough to have a signature shoe with the brand, they know that they will get more sales if it is with Jordan vs. any other brand because of its existing perceived value.
Are Jordan basketball shoes more expensive than AND1 basketball shoes?
At retail price, Jordan basketball shoes range from about $65 to $170, while AND1 basketball shoes go between $60 – $120. This makes AND1 the more affordable brand on average. This, of course, is excluding rare custom or player exclusive shoes that might be on the market.
From AND1’s website, you don’t have too much of a shoe selection relative to the Jordan brand. Additionally, there seem to only be about 3 price points for AND1 basketball shoes: $60, $70, and $120. You might have to start looking at secondhand stores like Eastbay or even eBay to try and find more flexible pricing.
Jordan has dozens of shoes to choose from and has deals at multiple price points in between the range mentioned above. However, many of the shoes are running above $100, so same rules apply: if you want a specific pair, try looking at secondhand sites before buying at the retail price.
Below, we’ve included some of the more popular shoes from each brand, as well as their current retail price and customer rating review. Ratings for Jordan are from Footlocker and ratings for AND1 are from the company’s website.
| Brand + Shoe Name | Customer Rating | Number of Reviews | Retail Price |
| Jordan Retro 1 High OG | 4.6 / 5.0 | 554 | $170 |
| Jordan 6 Rings | 4.6 / 5.0 | 568 | $170 |
| Jordan Retro 5 | 4.7 / 5.0 | 239 | $150 |
| Jordan AJ 1 Mid SE | 4.4 / 5.0 | 22 | $135 |
| Jordan Flightclub ‘91 | 4.6 / 5.0 | 109 | $130 |
| AND1 Attack 2.0 | 4.0 / 5.0 | 33 | $120 |
| AND1 Gamma 3.0 DS | 5.0 / 5.0 | 2 | $70 |
| AND1 Take Off 3.0 | 3.0 / 5.0 | 1 | $70 |
| AND1 Pulse 2.0 | 5.0 / 5.0 | 1 | $60 |
As you can see from the table above, Jordan shoes have an unweighted average of about 4.58, while AND1 has a score of 4.25. Furthermore, Jordan shoes have a much higher volume of reviews than AND1 shoes, which provides additional validation to the overall scores for the brand.
Conclusion: Jordan vs. AND1
Based on the evidence presented above, Jordan surpasses AND1 in almost every category that we’ve reviewed. With Jordan, you have a wider selection of shoes and price flexibility. Additionally, many top-level athletes are signed with Jordan, so wearing the brand has a higher perceived value overall.