Collectors aren't exactly celebrating the Eminem x Air Jordan 4 "Encore" retro news. While plenty of fans are excited to finally get a shot at the pair, longtime owners are voicing some frustration over what a larger release means.
The pushback comes down to exclusivity. Only 73 pairs of the original "Encore" ever existed, and that scarcity is a huge part of what made the shoe so valuable in the first place. Some original owners feel like Jordan Brand is watering down that history by making the colorway available to anyone with $230 and some luck in a raffle.
One sneaker reseller account, known for dealing strictly in ultra-rare pairs, shared some pointed thoughts on the situation this week. The account pointed out that Jordan Brand keeps devaluing its own rarest releases at this pace.
it sums up how a lot of longtime collectors feel right now. It's not that they don't want other fans to enjoy the shoe, it's that owning something rare stops meaning as much once it's not rare anymore.
Eminem x Air Jordan 4 "Encore"
Some shoes earn grail status specifically because they stay out of reach. That's the whole appeal of a pair like the "Encore," a shoe tied directly to one of the biggest artists in music history and a 1 of only 73 pairs ever made.
At the same time, it's easy to see why Jordan Brand wants to bring it back. Demand has stayed high for years. Also resale prices have climbed into the tens of thousands, giving more fans a real shot at owning a piece of that story isn't a bad move.
Still, there's something to be said for letting certain releases stay exactly as rare as they started. Not every grail needs a retro, and turning one of the rarest Jordans ever made into a general release does chip away at what made it special in the first place.
Both sides have a point here. But if collectors are frustrated watching something they paid a premium for suddenly become accessible to everyone, that frustration is fair.
