By Joshua Diaz ’27
The Air Jordan 4 is actually a comfortable pair of shoes despite recent criticisms as one of the worst-feeling pairs of Jordans. They can be comfortable when you go a half size up.
The AJ4 was also not meant to exist, as Jordan was meant to wear a different model: the Nike Flight 89, and they even share design elements. The Air Jordan 4 Retro was made back in 1989 as a basketball sneaker for all-star Michael Jordan and was worn by him and his team, the Chicago Bulls. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, it is now used and bought as a lifestyle sneaker meant for everyday-wear. It is mainly worn for style.
Meant more for the youth, but truly being a timeless classic for all ages, the average retail price is $215-225, and it is able to be bought in shoe stores like Footlocker, Snipes, and Finish Line. They sell out quickly, leading most people to buy from resale sites like Goat or Stock X. The quality on the product generally, and by Nike’s standards, is exceptional when it comes to materials as the average leather used by Nike is a cheap synthetic leather (most commonly seen in the popular models Air Force 1 and Nike Dunk with a top layer of plastic coated to look like leather). The Jordan 4 uses a mix of real and synthetic leather, but for an everyday shoe, its quality will allow it to last for years.
The main design that makes the shoe so unique are the support wings as no other shoe has anything like it, made to better lock in Jordan’s foot into the shoe. It is known as an integral part to the design and makes it unique with the Jordan brand. The netting on the side is only shared with the Air Jordan 5 the shoe, made to replace the 4. The one on the Jordan 5 looks completely different, but keeps a concept shared between two shoes in a unique way with both.
Some strengths with the shoe are the bulky design, as you can be versatile with pants whether they are skinnier pants or baggier pants. Despite me saying they are comfortable, the main problem is that the insole doesn’t give much arch support. For $215, they can add a zoom air unit to the insole (a small packet of Nike air out in the heel of the insole made for comfort, and used in their modern basketball shoes). Adding this makes the shoe far more comfortable than a basic, yet uncomfortable, insole.
Other than that, the shoe’s overall comfort is good and serviceable. The shoes also don’t crease as badly as other leather shoes, as the leather quality makes it harder for it to crease.
Overall, although the shoe has its issues, it’s one of the best pairs of Air Jordans on the market for its design and the variety of colors the shoe is available in.
The Raider Press 