The History of the Air Jordan IV
Remembering the Air Jordan IV and exploring what makes it stand out from other Jordan silhouettes.
The Air Jordan IV had a lot riding on its success. After the disaster of the Air Jordan II, The III helped keep Michael Jordan at Nike and not jump ship to a rival company.
The Air Jordan III and IV were designed by Tinker Hatfield, one of Nike’s most legendary designers. Hatfield was the innovative mind behind; the Huarache, Air Max 1, 95 and Jordan IX.
For the Jordan IV’s design, it took many queues from the III, including its visible air unit in the back of the shoe. The shoe initially retailed for $110 and came in four original colourways.
The starting line-up for AJ4 colours was; the white cement, the military blue, the bred / black cement and the fire reds.
The AJ4 featured a synthetic leather called durabuck as well as moulded mesh panels on the upper. The Air Jordan line thus far was mainly focused on mixing luxury with performance. This could be seen with the elephant print on the III or the Italian-inspired II. For the AJ4, while aesthetics were still important, more attention was paid to the functionality of the shoe.
The shoe was also immortalised in basketball history on May 7, 1989. Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a shocking turn of events, MJ made a buzzer-beating shot against the Cavs, putting the Bulls 101-100 with no seconds left on the clock. This unprecedented moment would later be referred to as ‘the shot’ by fans.
MJ famously donned a pair of bred IVs as he took the shot, furthering the shoe’s cultural impact. Throughout the years, the AJ4 has crossed over into movies, film and television. Spike Lee famously featured the shoe in his classic 1989 movie ‘Do the Right Thing’. The white cement variant of the AJ4 was the centrepiece of an iconic scene in the film.
Throughout the years, the shoe has been retroed on numerous occasions. In particular the year 2012 saw all four OG colourways re-released.
The AJ4 has remained relevant over the years for numerous reasons. Whether it was MJ’s time-defying shot, its prominence in film and TV or the numerous collabs, the Jordan IV is nothing short of iconic.
