Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘Air’ is a sports biographical drama that recounts the story behind the origin of Nike’s Air Jordan shoe line. The idea starts with Sonny Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon, who proposes they create an entirely new type of shoe based on Michael Jordan to get him to sign with them. It takes a lot of effort to break through to Jordan’s agent and family, but getting a meeting with them is not enough. They have to sell the idea, for which they need a great shoe. This is where Peter Moore comes in.
Within 48 hours, Moore creates the prototype of a perfect shoe that breaks the rules and revolutionizes the footwear industry. He became instrumental in getting the deal that changed Nike and Michael Jordan’s futures. While the company and the basketball legend have made billions of dollars through the Air Jordan line over the years, what happened to Moore, who designed it in the first place? How much did he make? Let’s find out.
How Did Peter Moore Earn His Money?
Peter Moore’s professional journey started with a design studio he ran in Portland in the late 1970s. This was the first time he came in contact with Nike, which was still trying to find a foothold in the industry. Moore had them as one of his clients, but eventually, he joined the company as a brand creative director in 1983. A year later, he, along with Rob Strasser and other salesmen and executives at Nike, secured the deal with Michael Jordan that would change the face of the company.
Besides designing shoes, Moore was also involved in developing marketing ideas, including posters featuring athletes. He also designed logos, the most famous of which is the Jumpman logo for Air Jordans. After a few years, Moore quit Nike and, with Strasser, founded Sports Inc., a design and consulting firm. In 1993, Adidas invited them to reinvent the brand and bring it back into the game. Moore and Strasser launched the Adidas Equipment line, where Moore designed performance gear and apparel. Moore also designed the mountain logo for the company, which has become synonymous with its name.
He also helped launch the retro-themed Adidas Originals. All of this helped Adidas become one of the top choices in sportswear in the world. Moore retired from Adidas in 1998. He dedicated himself to his other interests, like painting. However, he continued designing and working as a consultant for several brands. He died at 78 on April 29, 2022, in Portland, still dedicated to his work.
Peter Moore’s Net Worth
Peter Moore’s illustrious career spanned over five decades, during which he created some of the most iconic stuff and won several awards. His most notable success came from Air Jordans, which sold more than a million pairs in its first year, bringing Nike hundreds of millions in revenue. The brand stands for more than 10 percent of the company’s annual revenue and is worth several billion dollars.
Michael Jordan benefitted from his mother negotiating a clause that would bring him a cut on the sale of every shoe sold under his name. For Moore, however, this was not the case. As a designer, he was compensated in the form of a salary and not cuts or royalties from the sale of the shoes. Currently, a designer’s salary in Nike ranges from $90k to north of $150k, excluding the added bonuses. Moore also worked as a creative director at Adidas, and the current salary is estimated to range from $140,000 – $220,000.
Moore is best known for designing, but as stated above, he played several roles for the companies he worked for. Considering the success he brought for them, he would have profited from their success too. He retired from Adidas in 1998 but continued working. He made art and wrote books like ‘Adidas: The Story as Told by Those Who Have Lived and Are Living It.’ For a well-established person in the industry, a book deal comes with a generous sum and the royalties they receive from the sale.
Apart from this, Moore also continued to work as a consultant. Owing to his distinguished career and how he has transformed companies like Nike and Adidas, he would charge a good price for his services. With all this in mind, we believe that Peter Moore’s net worth at the time of his death must have been around $10 million.
