SOLE: Sneakers Shoes

SPACE

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