{"id":6126,"date":"2018-06-29T10:08:19","date_gmt":"2018-06-29T09:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/52.30.207.235\/air-jordan-iv-history\/"},"modified":"2018-06-29T10:08:19","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T09:08:19","slug":"air-jordan-iv-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/air-jordan-iv-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Jordan IV: All You Need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The unique journey of the Air Jordan IV<\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to the Air Jordan IV, one has to wonder about Craig Ehlo. Honestly, do you never ask yourself what he was thinking?<\/p>\n<p>What was going through his mind while defending MJ. When Jordan caught the ball, put his shoulder down for two decisive dribbles, and pulled up for &#8220;the shot,&#8221; what was Ehlo thinking?<\/p>\n<p>Did he perhaps, while his Airness was levitating for what felt like minutes, look at his feet and notice MJ had on some bangin&#8217; kicks? Doubtful, but we like to think so.<\/p>\n<p>In his defense, we wouldn&#8217;t blame him for getting a little caught up staring at Jordan&#8217;s shoes. When it dropped in 1989, the <strong>Air Jordan IV<\/strong> was one of the many signs of the brand&#8217;s upcoming domination of the industry.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60681\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-history.jpg\" alt=\"air jordan Iv history\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It released as a follow up to the <a href=\"https:\/\/footdistrict.com\/en\/sneakers\/f\/b\/jordan\/zm\/jordan-3\/\"><strong>Air Jordan III<\/strong><\/a>, Tinker&#8217;s first design work with the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/footdistrict.com\/en\/jordan\/\">Jumpman<\/a><\/strong>. As such, the overall approach to the signature line didn&#8217;t change with this latest addition.<\/p>\n<p>After the Air Jordan III strayed from the II and I in introducing a mid-cut look, the IV kept it consistent. Basketball sneakers were beginning to go through an experimental phase with ankle cuts and Jordan Brand decided to try out the mid cut look.<\/p>\n<p>We also see the inclusion of visible Air, another holdover from the Air Jordan III. For performance purposes, the IV also sported additional Air on the forefoot, making it the most advanced cushioning set up on a Nike basketball sneaker at the time &#8211; and similar to the Air Jordan III.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60682\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-retro-og-black-cement-grey.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Of course, as with many of the older retro models, the Air Jordan IV also came with some of its own distinctive features. Most Jordan heads will agree that this shoe is most known for its side netting. In that same light, the AJ IV is also famous for its dynamic lacing system.<\/p>\n<p>Known to many as the &#8220;waffle,&#8221; this allowed for a customizable fit on the court. It should come as absolutely no surprise that this shoe came together so well as a functional piece of footwear.<\/p>\n<p>While the brand had successfully convinced Jordan away from the clutches of Converse &#8211; yeah, that almost happened &#8211; they needed to keep pace. MJ is notoriously impatient when it comes to his shoes and even initially had problems with the Air Jordan 4.<\/p>\n<p>As such, it was pivotal that they got this one right and continued on the good momentum they had. This makes the shoe&#8217;s bottom loaded frame more fascinating.<\/p>\n<h3>Air Jordan IV: Built to Win<\/h3>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_60683\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" width=\"1200\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-sample-black-red.jpg\" alt=\"Air Jordan IV (Sample) Black\/Red\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/> Air Jordan IV (Sample) Black\/Red<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Since his UNC days, Jordan had always been about the canvas upper and waffle sole of the Converse Chuck&#8217;s. Although the Air Jordan IV is a bit heavy by most standards, the overall frame is actually a bit lighter than its predecessor.<\/p>\n<p>Functionally, it really may have been the best shoe MJ ever played in. His stats certainly bore that out. Rounding out his 1988-1989 season with averages of 32 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds per game, he certainly seemed at the height of his powers.<\/p>\n<p>Still, it&#8217;s worth asking if the Air Jordan IV is still a good choice. It&#8217;s a particularly relevant question when the number of quality footwear options seems to just be going up. Well, this shoe maintains its significance and prevalence even today.<\/p>\n<p>Most modern releases of the Air Jordan IV are going to drop with a full leather construction. As far as retro models go, this is one of the more distinctive and recognizable features in an OG hoops shoe.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that, the full grain leather builds are practical in two ways. First, it&#8217;s durable and can even take on a few pick-up games without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60684\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-levis-2018.jpg\" alt=\"air jordan iv levis 2018\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Secondly, that upper and an accompanying insulation on the inner linings are perfect for the colder months. As far as on-court functionality goes, you&#8217;re better off reserving these for casual use.<\/p>\n<p>The Air Jordan IV is a solid performance shoe, there&#8217;s no doubt about that. A durable and protective upper, competent impact protection, and above average traction make that obvious.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, it has a few functional concerns. The lacing system is innovative for its time but has been known to bother wearers while playing.<\/p>\n<p>The plastic on this piece can come off if the shoe is tested too often on-court. Then again, you&#8217;ll hardly feel the need to throw these on for your next game.<\/p>\n<p>The fact of the matter is that its many OG details make the Air Jordan IV an iconic design. Though it initially released in four colorways &#8211; the predictable mix of Chicago Bulls styles and a Blue-themed flip &#8211; we&#8217;re steadily seeing more and more flow through.<\/p>\n<p>A good example of this is the Air Jordan IV Retro+ edition. It released in two colors and was distinctive for its lack of lateral netting as on the original design. Instead, the Retro+ model put more of a focus on the leather builds.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60685\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-retro-og-fire-red.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Air Jordan IV is also a piece of the signature line that belongs in a museum. The history of its design is significant not just because it&#8217;s just the second effort from Tinker.<\/p>\n<p>It was also important to the wider culture of sneakers because of its global appeal. This was, in fact, the first piece of the Jordan line that the brand sold on a global scale.<\/p>\n<p>Part of that appeal was due to the use of a unique marketing campaign. Ever the innovators in this regard, Nike went ahead with one of the most memorable movie placements in history. The Air Jordan IV was featured relatively heavily on Spike Lee&#8217;s &#8220;Do the Right Thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that, the brand invested in several ad campaigns that involved Lee&#8217;s character in the movie actually talking to his Airness. It represented an inspired effort at marketing a shoe, making it more than the piece of performance footwear that it really was.<\/p>\n<p>Debuting with a hefty price tag, it certainly needed the help convincing people! As an iconic chapter in the history of basketball sneakers, the Air Jordan IV is a must for sneakerheads of any dedication.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60686\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/magefan\/air-jordan-iv-x-levis-black-white.jpg\" alt=\"air jordan IV levis black and white\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Image Credit: Jordan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The unique journey of the Air Jordan IV When it comes to the Air Jordan IV, one has to wonder about Craig Ehlo. Honestly, do you never ask yourself what<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6126","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-noticias"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6126"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=6126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}