The Air Jordan 4 is one of the most important sneakers ever made. The four colorways it launched with in 1989 are the reason why. Every single one of them is a classic.
They came out during one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. They appeared in one of the most culturally significant films of that decade. And they introduced a design that sneakerheads are still talking about more than 35 years later. Here they all are, ranked from worst to best.
The Shoe That Almost Didn't Happen
By 1988, Nike and Michael Jordan were still finding their footing together. The Air Jordan 1 had been a commercial phenomenon. But it was a design that Jordan himself was lukewarm on.
The Air Jordan 2 had been an underwhelming follow-up that left both sides looking for a reset. Enter Tinker Hatfield, the designer who had already saved the relationship with the Air Jordan 3. He was now tasked with doing it again.
Hatfield focused on making the shoe lighter and more functional than anything Jordan had worn before. He introduced over-molded mesh side panels for breathability. He added plastic support wings on the lace cage for stability. And he carried over the visible heel Air unit from the 3.
When the shoe launched in February 1989 at the NBA All-Star Game in Houston, the public was skeptical. The shoe looked unlike anything Nike had produced before. They came around quickly.
The Season That Made The Shoe Legendary
What happened during the 1988-89 NBA season turned the Air Jordan 4 into a permanent piece of basketball history. Jordan had his best statistical season to date. He averaged 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game.
He won his third consecutive scoring title and his first league MVP award. Jordan wore the Air Jordan 4 throughout that season in multiple colorways. The defining moment came on May 7, 1989, in the first round of the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With three seconds left, Jordan caught an inbounds pass, dribbled left, and launched a jumper over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer to win the series.
The Shot became one of the most iconic photographs in sports history. Jordan's fist was raised in the air. Ehlo crumpled to the floor beneath him. He was wearing the "Black Cement" Air Jordan 4.
At the same time, Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing brought the "White Cement" colorway to a mainstream audience far beyond basketball. By the end of 1989, the Air Jordan 4 was everywhere.
4. Air Jordan 4 "Military Blue"
The "Military Blue" is the most stylistically unique of the four OG Air Jordan 4 colorways. It has always occupied its own lane because of it.
The white leather base with military blue accents and grey cement detailing on the wings and heel tab is one of the cleaner non-Bulls color combinations Hatfield ever put together. What makes this one particularly interesting is that Jordan never wore it in an NBA game. The colors simply didn't match the Bulls' uniform.
That lack of on-court history keeps it from ranking higher. But it has never hurt the shoe's desirability among collectors. If anything, the fact that MJ never laced these up gives them a slightly mysterious appeal.
Every retro reminds people how well this colorway has aged. The 2024 version in particular brought back the original Nike Air heel branding and closer-to-OG shape. It was one of the best Jordan retros of that year.
3. Air Jordan 4 "Fire Red"
The "Fire Red" is the most underappreciated of the four OG Air Jordan 4 colorways. Jordan wore this colorway on court during the 1988-89 NBA season and into the start of the 1989-90 season. That gives it on-court credibility.
The white leather upper paired with fire red and black accents is bold and energetic. It communicates the same aggression as the "Black Cement" without going full blackout.
Several retro versions have dropped over the years. Some used "Varsity Red" instead of "Fire Red". Some featured the Jumpman on the heel instead of Nike Air branding. But the versions that stay closest to the 1989 original are consistently some of the best-looking Jordan 4s ever produced.
The "Fire Red" belongs in more conversations than it typically gets. It easily holds its own against the two entries above it on this list.
2. Air Jordan 4 "White Cement"
The "White Cement" is the Air Jordan 4's most culturally significant colorway by a considerable margin. The argument for putting it at number one is strong.
Jordan wore it throughout the 1988-89 regular season. Nike used it as the centerpiece of the Mars Blackmon advertising campaign with Spike Lee. It was also featured in Do the Right Thing in the now-legendary scene where Buggin' Out's pair gets scuffed.
The white leather base, cement grey speckled wings, and grey heel tab are the defining visual elements of the entire Air Jordan 4 silhouette. Every retro brings it back to the front of the conversation.
The 2016 Nike Air version in particular reminded the sneaker world why this colorway is considered one of the all-time greats. It sits at number two by the narrowest of margins.
1. Air Jordan 4 "Black Cement"
There was no other option for number one. The "Black Cement" is the Air Jordan 4 at its most iconic and most powerful. Jordan wore these during the 1989 playoffs, including Game 5 of the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That was the game where he hit The Shot over Craig Ehlo with three seconds left to win the series. One game. One all-time moment. One colorway cemented into history forever.
The black nubuck upper, cement grey wings, and red outsole detailing create one of the most visually striking color combinations in Jordan Brand history. The shoe has never looked anything less than perfect.
Every retro that restores the original Nike Air heel branding generates immediate excitement, and for good reason. The "Black Cement" is the Air Jordan 4. Everything else is competing for second place.
