Originally released in 2005 with just 72 pairs, the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 is perhaps the biggest grail yet to get a retro under the Nike umbrella.
With news of the sneaker’s return first leaked a year ago, rumors suggested it would come in two versions: one with Jumpman mustache branding true to the 2005 release and another with Nike Air branding true to the model’s original form from 1989. Now, with the release just over a week away, Undefeated has confirmed the Nike Air version is the only one that will release to the public.
Besides the switch in logos, Undefeated’s Air Jordan 4 recreates all the details of the rare 2005 sneaker. In a scheme inspired by the MA-1 flight jacket, an olive nubuck upper is paired with black on the tongue, TPU clips, mustache, sockliner and the majority of the midsole. Orange pops on a velcro Jumpman tongue tag, as well as the inner tongue, and the midsole’s white heel hosts an orange Air unit. Undeafeated’s name then appears upside down on the inner tongue tag and surfaces again on a co-branded hangtag.
To get one of the 72 sneakers back in 2005, prospective buyers had to purchase a promotional T-shirt in order to enter a lottery for Jordan Brand‘s first-ever sneaker collaboration. In 2022, an unworn pair in size 10 with the original bag and T-shirt sold for $44,000 in an auction by Sotheby’s.
The change in branding for the retro may come as a disappointment to some collectors, but it falls in line with Jordan Brand returning to the original Nike Air mark for other retro releases. And with the Jumpman variant likely reserved for friends in family, that edition will only be more coveted.
The Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 will release Aug. 2, with more details on the launch still to come. Pricing is set at $225.
The Undefeated x Air Jordan 4’s heel with Nike Air branding.
The Undefeated x Air Jordan 4’s tongue with removable velcro tag.
