Air Jordans are easily some of the most recognizable shoes on the planet. In fact, the highest-selling pair of shoes ever sold was the solid gold Air Jordan 10s — they went for $2 million. But Air Jordan has come a long way since its conception in 1985. One of the most historic shoes in the line was the fourth signature sneaker in the Jordan line.
In this article, we'll take you back in time to 1989 when the historic Air Jordan 4 sneakers debuted.
The Debut of the Air Jordan 4
Michael Jordan first debuted the "Black Cement" Air Jordan 4 in the NBA All-Star Game in February of 1989 (he went on to drop 28 points that game — not too shabby).
Despite following the ridiculous success of the Air Jordan 3, the AJ4 went on to conquer the markets once again — this time, in the first-ever global release of Michael Jordan's sneaker line.
It retailed at $110, which was $10 higher than the previous release, making them some of the most expensive basketball shoes on the market.
Despite its higher price tag and initial mixed response, these sneakers went on to become one of the most iconic shoes in the series. They were originally released in four different colorways:
White Cement
Black Cement
Fire Red
Military Blue
These were the second shoes headed by Tinker Hatfield for Michael Jordan. They had a mid-cut silhouette and were lighter than the AJ3.
Although they featured the iconic Air unit, they were quite different aesthetically from their predecessors which were more based on lifestyle and luxury.
This time, they were all about performance. They introduced a synthetic leather Durabuck and featured more lightweight materials. It also added a layer of urethane-coated mesh to make it more breathable.
These AJ4s also introduced the legendary "wings" that allowed people to customize their Jordans with 18 different lacing options.
On the Court
The perfect storm helped contribute to the success of AJ4. Jordan once again led the league in scoring while doing the nearly impossible by also making the NBA's First Team All-Defense.
He averaged 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Although he still didn't make it to the finals for another two years, the '88-89 season was the first time Jordan brought his Chicago Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls were finally a team to be taken seriously in the NBA.
Throughout the 1988-89 season, Jordan rocked both the "White Cement" and "Black Cement" sneakers. He later wore the "Fire Red" colorway to begin the 1989-90 season, but never wore the "Military Blue" colorway because it didn't match the Bulls uniforms.
Air Jordan 4: Immortalized By "The Shot"
One of the most iconic moments in Michael Jordan's career was "the shot." On May 7, 1989, Jordan hit a buzzer-beater from an out-of-bounds play to send the Cleveland Cavaliers packing from the first round of the playoffs. The series was tied 2-2 in a best-of-five series...and it all came down to this one play.
Jordan received the ball from out of bounds, drove to the free-throw line and pulled up for an off-balance jumper over the outstretched hand of Cleveland guard Craig Ehlo — and drained the shot with the time expiring.
Jordan finished with 44 points that game on 17-for-32 shooting.
What shoes was he wearing? The Air Jordan 4 "Black Cement."
Not only did that play forever go down as one of the greatest buzzer-beaters of all time — so did the shoes.
Air Jordan 4 On the Big Screen
After Spike Lee's huge success with his Air Jordan 3 campaign, he reprised his role for the AJ4. In the new commercial that debuted during the All-Star game in Houston, Spike Lee's Mars Blackmon character famously stated what you...
"Can...can't...can...can't" do with the Air Jordan 4s.
Later on, the Air Jordan 4 would also feature in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. Spike's commercials and movies helped pave the way for Air Jordan to become one of the most culturally dominant sneakers in the world.
The Return Of the Air Jordan 4
After nearly a decade, the Air Jordan returned in 1999 in retro form. It was not only the 10-year anniversary of the shoes but also Jordan's second retirement as well as the beginning of the new Jordan Brand.
The shoes were reintroduced in the original colorways as well as new palettes, including "Oreo" and "Columbia" as the Jordan 4 Metro. They were re-engineered with ventilated leather sidewalls and leather wings as well as the Jumpman icon on the heel.
Since then, the iconic AJ4 has rotated in and out of retailers. New colorways have been added over the years, including:
Cool Grey
Classic Green
Black Cat
Lightening
Thunder
Tour Yellow
In 2006, a women's-exclusive colorway was released: "Sand." Several collaborations were also released as special editions for the sneakers.
Sneaker shop Undefeated gave the Air Jordan 4 Retro a flight jacket theme in a collaboration between the brands
Eminem made his gifted to friends and family after the release of his album Encore
Travis Scott, KAWS, and Drake have all created collaborations on the shoe as well
It's safe to say that the Jordan 4s will forever be some of the most iconic shoes ever made.
The Best Jordans
By now, most people are quite used to the legacy that Michael Jordan has left behind both on and off the court. But it can be easy to become jaded about how successful each individual accomplishment was — especially in his shoe line.
If any other player had released just one shoe as iconic as the Air Jordan 4 sneakers, they would have been forever placed in the sneaker culture hall of fame. Air Jordan was able to accomplish this over...and over...and over again.
It's no wonder why Air Jordan has become synonymous with the most iconic shoes in the game.
Keep rocking Air Jordans to keep the appreciation alive for the greatest player to ever touch the court.
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