The Eminem x Air Jordan 4 "Encore" is officially set to return on May 15, 2027 for $230. It's one of the rarest and most expensive Jordan releases ever made.
The original story goes back to 2005. Eminem was on Nike's campus during his Anger Management Tour when he spotted an early Undefeated Air Jordan 4 sample. It was inspired by BlackBerry phone color blocking. He struck a deal to use that exact colorway for himself, and the "Encore" was born, tied to his album of the same name.
Only 50 pairs were made in 2005. Those were followed by 23 more in 2017 through a StockX charity campaign for the Marshall Mathers Foundation. That puts the total number of pairs ever produced at just 73. Given that scarcity, original pairs have sold for serious money, including one that hit $50,800 at Sotheby's.
Rumors of a wider release have circulated for years without ever materializing. A fake April Fools post even fooled parts of the sneaker community back in 2025, claiming a retro was already on the way. This time, the news is coming through legitimate sneaker outlets, making it far more credible than anything that's surfaced before.
Eminem x Air Jordan 4 “Encore”
This version won't be an exact copy of the original. Purple replaces the red detailing seen on the 2005 pair, including on the Jumpman branding itself. "Eminem" lettering is tucked behind the tongue, keeping the personal touch subtle rather than front and center.
Blue leather still covers most of the upper, joined by translucent wing eyelets and black accents throughout. The shape is also expected to move closer to the original Air Jordan 4 build rather than the more modern retro shape used in recent years.
It'll be available through select Jordan Brand retailers and Nike SNKRS. For a shoe that's spent two decades sitting almost entirely out of reach, actually being able to buy a pair at retail feels like a genuinely big deal.
