Take it back to ’89 in OG style with the Air Jordan 4 Retro ‘Fire Red’

Three decades ago, legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield had a challenge on his hands.

Fresh off the smash-hit success of his creation the Air Jordan 3 — the shoe which convinced Michael Jordan to stick with the Swoosh — Hatfield needed a follow-up. What do you do for a sequel to what’s widely considered one of the greatest basketball shoes of all time?

“The Architect” knew there was no sense messing too much with success. What he came up with was the Air Jordan 4, which followed similar mid-cut construction to the AJ3 and retained the visible Air Units and well-padded tongue and collar support.

But the 4 had its own inspirations, too. After the Air Jordan 2 went the high-fashion route and the 3 mixed style with on-court support, the next iteration was performance-focused.

Hatfield added mesh paneling in the upper for breathability and to cut weight for a lighter shoe, while plastic wings holding 9-port lace guides helped secure the ankles. Other purely aesthetic changes included the use of nubuck material at the heels and the word “FLIGHT” emblazoned below the Jumpman logos at the tongue.

It cemented its legend in the first round of the 1989 NBA Playoffs when Jordan, wearing the Black/Red AJ4s, drained “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo to sink the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

According to SLAM Magazine’s JORDANS collector bible, sales of the AJ4 weren’t exactly through the roof upon its debut in 1989, but it’s gone on to be one of the most popular retro silhouettes since its first reissue in 1999.

Now, for the first time since that original release, Jordan Brand is bringing the Air Jordan 4 Retro ‘Fire Red’ back in its OG form right in time for the holidays.

The crisp white leather upper gives way to highlights of black and Fire Red, with the day-one Nike Air branding on the heel tabs, a nostalgia-inducing hangtag and original packaging.

OG releases don’t come around often, so don’t miss your shot when the Air Jordan 4 Retro ‘Fire Red’ arrives in full family sizing on 11/28 at FinishLine.com and in stores.

– Available at FinishLine.com or in select stores via mobile app reservation on 11/28.

– To enter for a reservation of the Air Jordan 4 Retro ‘Fire Red’ in Men’s sizing only, head to our mobile app. Reservations open on Friday, November 20 at 10 a.m. EST and will close on Monday, November 23 at 10 a.m. EST.

*Status Members, use your Status Points to redeem extra entries to increase your chances of winning.

– Reserved pairs can be picked up in store.

– No pairs will be sold in stores on 11/28, only at FinishLine.com

– To adhere to local social distancing guidelines, we suggest picking up your shoes during designated windows of time:

11am-1pm (last names beginning with A – G)

1pm-3pm (last names beginning with H – M)

3pm-5pm (last names beginning with N – T)

5pm-7pm (last names beginning with U – Z)

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