Get chatting to any Jordan obsessed sneakerhead and it won’t be long before the Nike Air Jordan 4 gets a shout-out. For most collectors, this shoe represents a defining point in the line-up. Not only was this one of Tinker Hatfield’s best ever Jordan creations but it would go on to become one of the few Jordans that remained timeless. Even now, 30 years after it first launched, and the AJ4 is still a best-seller not to mention the focus for many a high-profile collab.
Looking back on some of these, we celebrate the legacy of a shoe that Michael Jordan once described as his favourite – even compared to the Air Jordan 1! Keep scrolling to see if you’ve got any of these grails.
Air Jordan 4 “Bred” (1989) 1989’s All Star game in Houston was made even more exciting when Jordan stepped on court debuting this now iconic colourway. Sneakerheads were hooked from day one and today, these are still remembered as one of the best. A perfect match for his Chicago Bulls jersey, Michael Jordan would be seen almost entirely in these across his winning streak throughout 1989 and 1990. A classic colourway, you can still purchase the Nike Air Jordan 4 "Bred" re-release from reselling platforms.
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Air Jordan 4 “Toro Bravo” (2013) Borrowing from the vibrant Spizike and Jordan 5 which featured a near identical colour scheme, this pair takes the bred theme to a whole new level. Soft nubuck features throughout whilst darker hits of grey and black somehow manage to balance the look. Love this look?
Eminem x Air Jordan 4 “Encore” (2004) Launching to coincide with Eminem’s fourth studio album, the Rap God gifted a pair of these insanely rare AJ4s to friends and family of the Interscope records team. Featuring in similar colours to the album artwork, this pair sees dark navy uppers offset with the addition of red coloured laces. Only 25 pairs were ever made which would explain why these are rarely seen on resell sites. That said, some would value these at more than £45,000.
Levi's x Air Jordan 4 “Blue” (2018) The Levis x Nike Air Jordan 4 Navy is what happens when the world’s leading producer of denim collides with the Jordan 4. Just as you’d expect, the results are nothing short of impressive. Almost everything gets covered in that statement fabric complete with classic jean stitching and even Levi’s signature logo. These continue to sell for close to £1000 across resell sites.
Air Jordan 4 “Fire Red” (1989) A favourite with Michael Jordan, this colourway was seen the most during the NBA season of 1989. It’s not surprising given the theme clearly celebrates the Chicago Bulls. Like many iconic Jumpmans before it, a striking use of white, black and red features throughout. You can still buy the Jordan 4 "Fire Red" 2020 retro here .
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 4 (2018) Paying homage to an American Football team of the past, the vibrant Travis Scott x Jordan 4 "Cactus Jack" was unveiled in the same jersey colours as the defunct Houston Oilers. Co-branding made these especially memorable not to mention Scott’s quirky Cactus Jack embellishments. A stand-out from the numerous earth-toned editions of Travis Scott sneaker which have released since, demand for this sneaker soared following the launch with resell prices now over £1,500!
KAWS x Air Jordan 4 (2017) For most younger sneakerheads, this exclusive collab might not just be the best AJ4 of all time but also one of the greatest ever sneakers. Can you blame them? Crafted with ultra-premium suede, KAWS founder Brian Donnelly added a masterful touch with his signature toy graphic laser-etched to the uppers. If that wasn’t unique enough, an icy glow-in-the-dark midsole sits underfoot and that distinctive XX logo appears to the heel. These resell for around £2,000, or you can checkout the AJ4 "Wet Cement" which many argue is a great alternative for this release.
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Air Jordan 4 “Fear” (2013) Launching as part of a wider pack, this Jordan 4 was joined by an AJ5 and AJ3; each pair featuring a simple colour combo of grey and black. It’s one of the more simple styles but still unique thanks to the speckled midsole and contrasting white outsole
Air Jordan 4 “White Oreo” (2021) You just can't beat a pair of clean white trainers. Following on from 2015's legendary "Oreo" colourway is the Jordan 4 "White Oreo" that launched in 2021. The pair switches out the black panels on the OG pair for white, offering up an ultra-clean rendition that will no doubt be worthy of adding to your collection. The look is topped off with red details and speckle-grey accents as seen on the original pair. If you're going for a look that will provide you with a refined and subtle flex then look no further, as you need these!
Air Jordan 4 “Cool Grey” (2004) This 2004 colourway might not look too unique but unbelievably, these were the first pair to ever feature even a hint of yellow. That vibrant shade not only features to the Air Unit but hits the tongue and inner lining too. They got a re-release with the Jordan 4 "Cool Grey" 2019 , but nothing beats the original.
Air Jordan 4 “Royalty” (2017) As the name would suggest, this 2017 release is about as luxurious as it gets. Layers of premium black suede are complimented by not-so subtle gold embellishments. These garnered a lot of attention with some comparing them to an even more striking version of the black cats. If you want to get your hands on a pair of the coveted Jordan 4 "Royalty" , check out reselling platforms such as StockX and Klekt.
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Air Jordan 4 “Military Blue” (1989) Here’s the only colourway from the OG archive that never actually made it onto the feet of Michael Jordan. That’s right, these might not have been seen on the hardwood but that’s not to say there not an eye-catching pair. With military blue accents against premium white leather, these were unconventional for the time and as such, a must cop for serious collectors. These are rumoured to be dropping again this year so keep an eye on our Jordan 4 "Military Blue" product page!
Image via Tumblr/Damiensneaker
Air Jordan 4 “Black Cat” (2006) This murdered out Jordan inspired several imitations not to mention a Jordan 3 which arrived in a similar colourway the following year. It’s not hard to see why this was just a trend-setter. Void of any gimmicks or vibrant colours, the Jordan 4 "Black Cat" instead gets covered in premium black suede from heel to toe. A re-release happened this year and with them selling out in minutes, it seems these are just as popular as ever.
Air Jordan 4 “Wahlburgers” (2018) The Jordan 4 is a favourite of Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg which would explain this release back in 2018. It was actually a celebration of his family’s burger joint complete with the Wahlburger logo stamped across the tongue. Those uppers also nod to Mark’s hometown of Boston, featuring in a vibrant green colourway.
Levi’s x Air Jordan 4 “Black” (2018) Also unveiled in a white colourway, the Levis x Nike Air Jordan 4 "Black" follow up to the blue washed denim was arguably even more versatile. That said, this second release was executed with just as much detail. A red Levi’s tag features to the lateral side whilst that brown leather patch looks just like the one found on your favourite pair of jeans.
Isiah Thomas Doernbecher x Air Jordan 4 “Superman” (2011) The ongoing collaboration with Nike and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital has resulted in some of the best grails of all time. Leaving the design entirely to the kids, we’ve seen everything from barbie-inspired pairs to those celebrating family members. This pair from back in 2011 instead opts for a superhero theme!
Air Jordan 4 “White Cement” (1989) First appearing in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing in 1989 and re-releasing ten years later alongside the first Retro styles, this white-and-black iteration will forever live in the hearts of sneakerheads. A nod to its predecessor, this Nike Air Jordan 4 "White Cement" colourway celebrates the subtle differences between the AJ3 and AJ4. Instead of the elephant print, speckles of cement grey feature to those moulded overlays.
Air Jordan 4 “Thunder & Lightning” Pack (2006) This explosive pack from 2006 was painfully limited, only available to Team Jordan members who at the time, could only cop via jumpman23.com. This unique launch was matched by the totally out-there colour scheme. That eye-popping yellow pair came with an accompanying jacket whilst the moody black silhouette include a rare “AIR” t-shirt. Not surprisingly, both are still a commodity on the resell market.
Air Jordan 4 “Raptors” (2019) Despite the rumours, the Jordan 4 "Raptors" weren’t released in collaboration with Drake but you can understand the confusion. The colourway borrows from the Toronto Raptors team colours, a Canadian team that counts Drake as one of their most loyal, and passionate fans! The look is fairly low-key but these were definitely a crowd-pleaser thanks to the addition of a purple coloured midsole and those hits of red.
Air Jordan 4 “Pure Money” (2006) It’s not the green of the dollar bill which inspires this Jordan, rather a more angelic theme of all-white, complimented by metallic hits of silver. These first launched back in 2006 before getting a re-release several years later with the Jordan 4 "Pure Money" 2017 . They’re now considered one of the cleanest colorways in the AJ4 range.
Air Jordan 4 “White Laser” (2006) It doesn’t get more intricate than this AJ4 which features a laser etched pattern from heel to toe. Colour blocking makes these even more eye-catching with vibrant hits of red and black drawing the eye to those abstract shapes across the upper.
Union LA x Air Jordan 4 "Off-Noir" (2020) As part of an ongoing collaborative effort with Jordan Brand, Union LA offered up it's first ever take on the Air Jordan 4 at the tail end of 2020 with the Union x Air Jordan 4 "Off Noir" . Showcasing a unique translucent version of the lace wings along with a pre-stitched tongue (paying homage to how OG sneakerheads wore the AJ4), these were a pair like none we'd seen before. They also launched alongside a Union LA exclusive "Guava Ice" pair.
Air Jordan 4 "University Blue" (2021) Inspired by the iconic "UNC" (University of North Carolina) colourway, the Air Jordan 4 "University Blue" has been one of the most popular Jordans to drop in 2021 thus far, and it's not exactly hard to see why. The legendary colour scheme is accentuated with hits on grey, black and red, which along with a speckled midsole makes up one hell of a pair! If you're yet to get your hands on this clean release, now might be the time to grab them!
Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 (2005) Right up there with the rarest Jordan 4s of all time, this model pays homage to the MA-1 flight jacket. The theme is taken seriously complete with satin covered tongues and deep khaki stretching across the suede uppers. The LA retailer dropped these in a painfully limited size run of only 72 pairs. You’d be hard push to find a rarer Jordan 4.
Off-White x Air Jordan 4 “Sail” (2020) Talk about clean; one of Virgil Abloh’s latest Nike exclusive features in a low-key shade of sail matched with darker hits of cream throughout. It’s far more subdued than the earlier Jordan 5 with tonal panels of leather alongside all of those Off-White details we’ve come to expect. That includes the word “SHOELACES” printed along the, you guessed it, laces as well as an “AIR” slogan stamped above the heel. One of the most sought after pairs from the Off-White x Nike collaboration , if you want to get your hands on these act fast before prices raise!
Be sure to check out our some of our other lists rounding up the all-time greatest colourways of your favourite shoes:
