Air Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined: Sneaker Release Date, Price, Where To Buy

All-Star Weekend is upon us and as a result, the sneaker brands are looking to make an impact. In this vein, Jordan Brand is continuing its reimagined series tomorrow with the release of the Air Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined for a retail price of $215.

Following in the footsteps of the Air Jordan 1 Lost and Found, Air Jordan 3 White Cement Reimagined and the Air Jordan 1 Royal Reimagined, the Air Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined is the latest classic OG Jordan colorway to drop with a twist, with the black upper swapping out nubuck for leather. For comparison’s sake, below is a picture of the 2019 retro of the Air Jordan 4 Bred from its StockX page.

StockX

Jordan Brand says it has “re-engineered the shape, fit, and feel back to the original ‘89 specs.” I wonder if this means it will be following the example of last year’s Nike SB x Air Jordan 4, a drop which the brand said it did its best to get as close as it ever has to the OG 1989 shape. That’s definitely an encouraging sign. As was the case with the AJ1 Royal Reimagined, there has been some consternation about the materials swap on the upper. The AJ1 Royal Reimagined STRUGGLED at retail, really to a shocking degree, simply because the upper swapped leather for nubuck. This Air Jordan 4 is going in the opposite direction, but could face similar problems with consumers considering it sacrilege to see one of their favorite Jordan colorways of all time with a new material makeup. The color blocking remains the same, with a mostly black upper with black wings and mesh netting, along with grey accents on the midsole, lace tabs, inner lining and Nike branding on the heel as well as red accents on the outsole, tongue lining and Jumpman logo. It should be noted that the red looks like it might be slightly brighter than the 2019 retro seen above, but its hard to say for sure without seeing it in person.

Models like the Air Jordan 1 Lost and Found and Air Jordan 3 Reimagined did better at retail and were more sought after on the secondary market because while they did have some changed elements (specifically bits of artificial aging) but largely stuck to what sneakerheads know and love about those models. There are already rumors about the next shoe in the Reimagined series being another Air Jordan 3, this time in black/cement, which could follow in this path and be a sign that Nike/Jordan Brand may be concerned about mixing materials on classic colorways going forward.

Of course, for those not familiar with the Air Jordan 4, it is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and is yet another classic from the sneaker design GOAT, Tinker Hatfield. The shoe was initially worn on court by Michael Jordan during the 1988-89 NBA season for the Bulls and features some similar design cues from the Air Jordan 3 such as visible air in the heel and prominent Nike/Jordan branding on the back. However, the AJ4 also featured a few noteworthy departures, including the famous wings on the back toward the heel and the mesh panels in the middle of the upper as well as a unique lacing system that allows for a number of different lacing patterns. Of course, this was also the shoe, and this is the specific colorway, that MJ was wearing when he hit “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo to propel the Bulls past the Cavs in the 1989 NBA Playoffs.

So, will this Reimagined 4 be a hit like the Lost and Found 1s and Reimagined 3s or will it be a dud like the Air Jordan 1 Royal Reimagined? That is the million-dollar question. There was a shock drop earlier this month on the SKNRS app, which suggests plenty of pairs should be available, however Nike did not use Exclusive Access as they did on the AJ1 Royal Reimagined, which makes one wonder if they’re thinking this will be another reimagined release which is a bit easier to pick up. The shoe is up on StockX currently, sporting an average sale price of $305 on 7,184 sales, which represents a 28% price premium. It should be noted that prices are dropping, however, on recent sales. The 2019 retro, with the traditional nubuck upper, currently has an average sale price of $541 on 2,016 sales, good for a 147% price premium, for comparison’s sake.

At the end of the day, this will be another love it or hate it shoe. The great thing about the Reimagined 3s last year, which made it my No. 2 sneaker of the year, is that it looked mostly like a classic White/Cement Air Jordan 3. There’s no mistaking that this is not your father’s Air Jordan 4. Some people will be fine with that, others won’t. It all comes down to individual taste and how much you want this model in this colorway, even if it means it’s got a different upper than the classic that MJ wore on the court for the Bulls. These are probably a pass for me, but I said the same thing about the reimagined Royal 1s and still wound up grabbing a pair when I saw them at a Nike outlet near me. So never say never.

Best of luck to all looking to pick up a pair!

To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.