This special makeup of the Air Jordan Retro 4 was made to commemorate Eminem’s “Encore” album. Only 50 pairs of these were produced and given to contest winners as well as Eminem and his friend’s and family. These were never for sale or available to the public outside of those awarded as prizes. They feature “Eminem” on the inside of the tongue replacing the common “Air Jordan” found there as well as “Encore” found stitched on the back of the flap. They came with three sets of laces as well black, red, and blue. These are super rare and if you’re trying to get your hands on a pair, i’d worry about finding them first and then the thousands of dollars you’ll need to spend if the owner is even willing to part with them.

Keys: Jordan, Jordan shoes, Jordan 4, Jordan Retro shoes, Jordan Eminem, Eminem, Eminem Encore

SPACE
Key Tech: Visible Air-Sole unit (heel), encapsulated Air-Sole unit (forefoot)

Use: Hoops, Indoor

Position: Guards and light forwards

Colorway Tested: Cool Grey/Chrome/Dark Charcoal/Varsity Maize

Price: The O.G. retailed for $110

Pros: Similar to the III, but with lots of little improvements; good overall comfort and fit; good support around the ankle and over and around the midfoot; good impact protection with very good court feel and reasonably good cushioning response; very good traction; light

Cons: Midsole starts out quite hard and still feels a bit thin up front; could feel some pressure from the laces through the thin tongue, particularly along the base of my ankles; wide base gives the shoe a blocky feel

SPACE

PACE

DON’T MESH WITH SUCCESS

The Air Jordan IV is probably the most evolutionary shoe in the entire Air Jordan line, but it’s a whole that’s greater than the sum of its many, slightly tweaked parts. Cushioning (including cushioning response), fit, support around the ankle and foot and traction are all improved. And these improvements come packaged in a shell that matches the durability of its bomb-proof predecessor, yet-thanks to the judicious use of mesh along its tongue and side panels-manages to be nearly two ounces lighter per shoe (in a U.S. men’s size 11) and more breathable.

The only downsides carried over from the III are a midsole that starts out feeling rock-hard and a somewhat blocky feel underfoot, thanks to a stable but overly broad base. The IV’s midsole is also, though slightly thicker than the III’s, still a bit too thin under the ball of the foot for my liking.

The only new problem that cropped up was that the IV’s thin, unpadded tongue allowed the lacing system to transfer a bit too much pressure onto the top of my foot, particularly at the base of my ankle. I probably wouldn’t have noticed this if I were wearing more thickly padded socks, but as a thin socks kind of guy, it was a bit of a distraction.

All told, I was happily surprised by the Air Jordan IV’s performance, but the biggest surprise to me was when I learned that all these improvements come at no increase in price over its predecessor. The original Air Jordan IV retailed for $110 (its inflation adjusted price would be something north of $165 in today’s dollars), which was $10 more than the III. But, for some reason, when the folks at Jordan decided to re-release the IV-and this applies to the first Retro release back in 1999 as well-they dropped its price to the same $100 as the III. Still not cheap, but it’s a bit of a bonus considering the IV is most definitely the better on-court shoe. If you’ve got a Benjamin to spend and your main motivator is collectibility, go for the III, but if you’re looking for old-school style with near new-school performance, the IV is the shoe for you.

—From Issue 7, article by Professor K

As the year rolls on, so do the colorways. Only this time it’s the last original colorway of the Air Jordan IV. You may be sitting there thinking, “Why does that sound so familiar?” Well, in 2006 when the Air Jordan IV was retroed, it was this Military Blue colorway that was the last to be released at that time as well. So yes indeed, history does repeat itself. These also included a Nike Air hangtag with them as well, and, like many other Air Jordan nicknames, this one comes from the color description.

In true Air Jordan tradition, the third colorway of the original Air Jordan IV is in traditional Chicago Bulls colors. Bearing the colors white, black and red, these got their nickname of “Fire red” from the description of the colorway on the box. To this day, this has remained a favorite Air Jordan. These came with a unique “Nike Air” hang tag as well. Different from the retro hang tag, the original one was much thicker.

This particular colorway of the original Air Jordan IV has made a mark on history all on its own, outside of the sneaker world. This is the same shoe that MJ wore in the famous game against the Cleveland Cavaliers where he hit the game winning shot during the 1989 NBA playoffs. You know the one - where after he made the shot he jumped in the air in celebration and Craig Ehlo seemed to have “fallen.”

Do these look familiar? Well, if you’re a fan of Spike Lee movies then you most certainly have seen these before. One of the first glimpses of this new Air Jordan model, the Air Jordan IV, was worn by the character Buggin’ Out in what is probably the most famous scene in the movie among sneakerheads. Following the Air Jordan III, this model continues with the cement look but with a little altering to make it unique for this specific colorway.

Not to be outdone by the White/Blue Air Jordan 4 Retro sample, here is a white and red one. This, just like the White/Blue ones did not make the final cut. It’s unknown why this was never produced, but luckily we have it here and are able to take a look at something you definetly will not see everyday.

As many already know, when a shoe is being tossed around for release, many colorways are thought imagined. As Jordan Brand’s Gentry Humphrey stated in his interview in Issue 22 of Sole Collector, colorways are made but not all of them make the cut. So what are these unreleased sneakers called? They’re called samples due to the fact they are made to give the designers an idea of how something will look and it they think it will work or not. This is one of those samples that for some reason didn’t make the cut. While we will probably never know why, this is one that not many people have ever seen.

Got a little bit of Thunder? How about a little bit of Lightning!? Well, to go along with the “Thunder and Lightning” theme, we also get this Air Jordan 4 Retro. These came packaged with a matching t-shirt and retailed for $250. Again, these were not available in stores and only online to Team Jordan members. These, like their “Thunder” counterparts sold out instantly.

With the return of the Air Jordan 4 Retro in 2006, it’s only proper that we get a lifestyle colorway. This being the first Air Jordan 4 Retro to be labeled as “LS,” we get a very unique colorway. While the colorway is new, we get a little bet of an original vibe as well - the speckled midsole that was originally on the White/Black Air Jordan IV. Another unique feature to this is that the black and yellow Jumpman tag on the tongue is actually removable via velcro. If you detach it, underneath, in the velcro, it says “Jordan Rare Air.” So whether it is truly considered part of the Air Jordan “Rare Air” series is up to the critics. If you remember back in 2002 when Jordan Brand retroed the Air Jordan I with a jumpman replacing the Nike swoosh, that was labeled as the first of the “Rare Air” series. Either way, these were a limited release only available at urban accounts and select chainstores of Foot Locker Inc. Matching apparel was also released to go with these sneakers.

As the legacy continues, so do the online exclusives. For the second time, we get an online release for the Air Jordan 4 Retro. They are dubbed “Thunder,” as the theme this time around is the “Thunder” and “Lightning” packages. They, like all Jordan online releases, were exclusive only to Team Jordan members and would not be available in stores. Again, like the past, registered members received an email with an exclusive link and time to when to purchase these ultra rare packs. At first many people complained about the expensive $500 price tag, but that did not stop them from selling out. This particular pack came with a matching jacket.

As retros continue so does the Jordan Lifestyle line. This colorway, nicknamed the “Mist Blue” Air Jordan 4 Retro, was named after the specific name of one of the colors of this model. These, like all LS models, had matching apparel come out to coincide with the release. They also have the now-traditional $10 pricetag markup like all current LS releases do.

After all the hype of the “Fire Red” Air Jordan 4 Retro Laser online exclusive, we got another. This time it hit stores rather that only the Internet, but was a very limited release only to a very select few urban accounts. Although they did not come as a package set, they did retail at $175 - just like the online release was. These are also another pair in the Air Jordan “Rare Air” collection and the first to have the title on the boxtag as well. These, just like the “Fire Red” laser Air Jordan 4 Retros, have the Air Jordan XX inspired lasering all over the shoe.

In continuing the tradition of commemorating Spike Lee for everything he has done for Jordan Brand, the “Fire Red” Air Jordan IV Retro gets a little twist. An added Mars Blackmon face laseed on the side of the shoe makes it unique. Other than this, only one other Air Jordan IV was retroed with the Mars face laser printed on the side - that being the Jordan Motorsports exclusive fourth year Air Jordan 4 Retro. But even with the face on the side, that didn’t stop people from lining up all night to make sure they got their hands on another pair of history before they sold out.

With 2005 being the twentieth anniversary of the Air Jordan, Jordan Brand brings out a special edition of the Air Jordan IV. Taken from the design cue of the Air Jordan XX, this retro Air Jordan IV contains laser print all over the shoe. This was also a very important release in Jordan Brand history as it was the second online exclusive package to date. It came with a special matching black hat and white short sleeve t-shirt. These were only available to registered Team Jordan Members (now known as Flight Club Members) and were exclusively sold online and not in any stores. If registered, you received an e-mail containing a special link along with the specific date and time the product was to be launched. But, much like the first online package, overwhelming response led to the site crashing a few times before all the kinks were fixed.

In 2006, we saw the return of the “Fire Red,” Mars-inspired Air Jordan Retro IV, so what better than to retro the final original colorway left? Last, but not least, we get the final Air Jordan 4 Retro of this year, and it’s the original “Military Blue.” Many complained due to the less-than-premium leather quality and the Jumpman logo on the back. Chances are very slim though of getting a deadstock pair of the originals, let alone a pair of the originals in any condition, so why be upset?

To go along with the “Black Cat” theme, we also have the “Pure $” theme. Basically like the Yin to the Yang, this theme is white-based. These are very similiar to the “Bling, Bling” Air Jordan IV Retro+ of 2000, but the differences are there. This time, instead of having perforated holes where the original mesh netting once was, the netting is back. Also, the leather has a tumbled look to it rather than the traditional smooth leather. And for the first time in Retro history, these did not come with a retro card. It was instead replaced by an Air Jordan poster. The poster depicted Jordan’s famous game winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 NBA Playoffs.

What better of a way to kick off the summer then by retroing the Air Jordan IV once again. With a white based shoe with accents of green and a chrome Jumpman on back, this shoe is perfect for the warm weather and shorts. These also were bumped up from $100, which was the price when the Air Jordan IV was previously retroed in 2000, to $110.

The Air Jordan IV makes its fourth retro run with the start of the new “Black Cat” theme - Inspired by MJ’s nickname given to him by his Chicago Bulls teammates describing his playing style. The theme is usually represented by an all black-based sneaker. These also took a $5 price increase and retailed at $115 rather than the $110 price tag from the 2004 Air Jordan 4 Retros. Also, if you flip the mudflap back, you’ll see the words “Black Cat” stitched on it.

This was the second and final colorway of the Air Jordan IV Retro to be released in 2004. Due to heightened popularity of “Cool Grey” colorways, Jordan Brand decided to put it on a Air Jordan 4 Retro. These, like the previous Air Jordan 4 Retro colorway released in 2004, retailed at $10 more than the previous 1999 Retros at $110.

Even though the Air Jordan V was being retroed at the time, we got a special Retro+ colorway of the Air Jordan IV. This was also one of the first limited releases done by Jordan Brand. These were nicknamed the “Bling, Bling” Air Jordan 4 Retros due to the all white shoe with chrome accents and the fact that the term “Bling, Bling” is very popular at the time. These are a perfect summer shoe and they were released at the right time for it. These were also the last Air Jordan Retro IV colorway to be labeled a “Retro+.”

As we continue the retro of Air Jordan IV’s in 1999, we get one more new colorway before the year is out. This is also labeled a “Retro+” as it is a new colorway and has a Jordan insignia on it. These were also one of the first Air Jordans to come in the new Jordan face box, replacing the then-current silver Jordan box with a little red jumpman in the center of the boxtop. These, like the other Air Jordan Retro IV’s, came with a retro card but unlike the original colorways, this one did not come with the “Nike Air” hangtag.

What better way to start off the culmination of retroing Air Jordans then to do not one, but two, original colorways? These also bring a whole new look to the meaning of retro card which lives on today in mostly all Air Jordan Retros. Very different from the original retro cards of 1994 for the Air Jordan I, II and III, these have a brief story on the model that the card represents, as well as a timeline showing a picture of each Air Jordan model from I to the newest model out during that time. This colorway also comes with a cool “Nike Air” hangtag as well.

The Air Jordan IV was the first Air Jordan model to be retroed in the second round of Air Jordan Retros. They started in 1999 and still continue to this day. These were also one of the few that still bare the original Nike logos on them, very true to the original. They also come with a “Nike Air” hangtag to give it that old-school vibe.