【Michael Maien】

The Michael Maiensneaker universe of 2016 is an immensely vaster and more complicated place than it was when a young basketball player named Michael Jordan first inked an endorsement deal with Nike in 1984. But Air Jordan has remained at that universe's center for parts of four decades now.

In a bid to leverage the passion that surrounds its product, Jordan Brand on Monday launched a blog of its own to serve as a content hub for the shoe line's fans.

SEE ALSO: How the Air Jordan XXXI became a high-tech basketball sneaker

The idea behind the new blog, according to a senior Jordan Brand digital executive, is to centralize the conversation around a product that today is worn by rappers and athletes alike, a shoe that's donned for performance or simply for fashion, a brand that makes waves with both retro and new releases, and one that's carved its own unique legacy in both the sports and style worlds. The new site will live at air.jordan.com.

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Today, websites breathlessly dissect coming sneaker releases. Shoppers line up before dawn to buy new models. Artists give shoes custom decorations, and the secondary sneaker market is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion annually.

It's into that world that air.jordan.com is being born, more than 30 years after Jordan himself signed with Nike.

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A preview we got of the site before its launch showed the new Air Jordan blog's various sides. Some posts were photo-heavy, others ran several hundred words or more. Work from street artists and photographers featured prominently.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In one article, NBA player Jabari Parker — who has an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand — reflected on his youth spent playing pickup basketball in Chicago. Another post recapped a pop-up store the brand recently activated in New York City — customers were asked about their affinity for Jordans and how they discovered the pop-up. Elsewhere on the blog, a look-book simply showcased Jordan Brand products.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The goal appeared to both spotlight and amplify the mythology and aura around one of the most iconic sportswear brands of all-time. A Jordan Brand digital executive said the company wants the new site to have the feel of a "digital zine" made by and for Air Jordan super-fans.

Expect historical pulls along the lines of this video recounting the time Jordan shattered a glass backboard dunking during an exhibition game in Italy. Expect lifestyle-focused featurettes, for example fans of the brand reminiscing about their first pairs of Jordans. Expect information on upcoming releases.

And mostly, expect Air Jordan fans to eat it all up.

BONUS: Air Jordan, from I to XXXI

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