Few Jordans have been retroed, reworked and collaborated on as often as the Air Jordan 4. In 2026 alone it has had a Europe-only city edition, a J Balvin collaboration and, at the end of November, the return of the Bred on the OG mould.
Whether you are buying your first pair or adding to a rotation, here is everything you need to know about the Air Jordan 4, from the 1989 original to the pairs releasing this year.
The History of the Air Jordan 4
The Air Jordan 3 was a turning point. Tinker Hatfield's design is widely credited with helping keep Michael Jordan at Nike, and Hatfield went straight to work on its successor. The Air Jordan 4 arrived in February 1989, just before All-Star Weekend, and it was the most technical-looking Jordan yet.
The upper used Durabuck, a synthetic nubuck, with mesh panels on the sides and tongue for breathability. Moulded wings along the eyestays gave wearers more ways to lace the shoe, and a visible Air unit sat in the heel, an idea Hatfield had already used on the Air Max 1 and the Jordan 3.
It launched in four colourways: Black Cement, today known as the Bred, White Cement, Fire Red and Military Blue. All four have come back several times since, and they are still the pairs most collectors measure every new colourway against.
Shop the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'White Cement' (2016) on KLEKT
The OG colourways on KLEKT: the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Bred' (2019), the Air Jordan 4 OG 'White Cement' (2025), the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Fire Red' (2020) and the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Military Blue' (2012).
The Shot and Do the Right Thing
The Air Jordan 4 did not have to wait long for its defining moment. In the 1989 playoffs, with three seconds left in the deciding game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jordan hit a jumper over Craig Ehlo to win the series. He was wearing the Black Cement. The moment is simply known as The Shot.
The same year, Spike Lee gave the shoe a second life off the court. After directing the Jordan 3 adverts as Mars Blackmon, he made a scuffed pair of Jordan 4s the centre of one of the best-known scenes in Do the Right Thing. Between the two, the 4 became a basketball shoe and a cultural object at the same time.
The Biggest Air Jordan 4 Collaborations
Over time the 4 moved from the court to the street, and the collaborations followed. The two rarest are the Eminem x Carhartt and the Undefeated, both made in tiny numbers and among the hardest Jordans of any model to find.
The more accessible collaborations still define the model for most people. The Air Jordan x Travis Scott 4 Retro 'Cactus Jack' from 2018 paired blue suede with a speckled midsole and red accents. In 2020 Virgil Abloh's Air Jordan x Off-White 4 WMNS 'Sail' reworked the shoe in sail tones with see-through panels and Abloh's familiar text details.
Shop the Air Jordan x Travis Scott 4 Retro 'Cactus Jack' (2018) on KLEKT
Union LA started its Air Jordan 4 run in 2020 with the Air Jordan x Union 4 Retro 'Off Noir' and the Air Jordan x Union 4 Retro 'Guava Ice', followed by Desert Moss and Taupe Haze in 2021.
Shop the Air Jordan x Union 4 Retro 'Guava Ice' (2020) on KLEKT
Retros and New Colourways
The 4 does not depend on collaborations. The Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Black Cat' (2020), named after one of Jordan's nicknames, became one of the most worn pairs of the decade and returned again as the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Black Cat' (2025).
Shop the Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Black Cat' (2025) on KLEKT
Newer colourways keep the model moving. The Air Jordan 4 'Military Black' (2022) put the Military Blue blocking into black and grey, and the Air Jordan 4 WMNS 'Canyon Purple' (2022) used hairy suede in a palette no OG ever had. For the full story of the most retroed colourway, read every Air Jordan 4 'Bred', from 1989 to the 2026 OG.
Air Jordan 4 Releases 2026
2026 has been one of the busiest years for the model. On 17 September the Air Jordan 4 'London' arrived as a release exclusive to the UK and the rest of Europe, in hairy grey suede with LDN branding under a transparent heel piece. The style code is IV6048-001. On 2 October the Air Jordan 4 x J Balvin 'Amazonas' followed in yellow croc-textured leather, style code IW2872-700.
Shop the Air Jordan 4 'London' (2026) on KLEKT
The biggest release of the year should be the last one. On 28 November 2026 the Bred returns on the OG mould, in nubuck with Nike Air on the heel, style code IX8180-001. Both the Air Jordan 4 OG 'Bred' (2026) and the Air Jordan 4 x J Balvin 'Amazonas' are already live on KLEKT, so you can pick your size before release day.
You can browse every pair in the full Air Jordan 4 catalogue on KLEKT, from the OG colourways to this year's releases.
Check out the Air Jordan 4 on KLEKT.
Images: Nike / Jordan Brand / KLEKT
