Jordan 4 Retro

The black and white outer of this Jordan 4 Retro has been enlivened by the use of distinctive golden effects, for a strong feeling of exclusivity. Simple but stylish colouration can be found on the rubber outsole, whose multidirectional herringbone tread panels provide the wearer with all-round grip. In the heel and below the forefoot, these appear in a bold black tone, with the same colour on the star-shaped adornments on the toe cap. Meanwhile, white fills out the midfoot section, including the smooth part below the arch of the foot, which has a final dash of black on the Jumpman in its centre. With this feature supporting a confident step, the midsole focuses on comfort via its use of Air cushioning. This shows up through a clear window in the white layer of the midsole below the heel, which extends along the flanks and around the toe as well. Above this, a second layer occurs in black, thus mirroring the contrastive colour scheme of the outsole.

While the midsole carries the last sign of white to be found on this sneaker, black returns as the most prominent colour on the upper. It covers the elegant suede that forms layers through the forefoot, the centre of the shoe from heel to toe, the quarter panel and the collar. The use of this material lends this AJ4 a truly luxurious appearance which, when combined with the opulent golden detailing, explains its nickname – Royalty. The first of these dashing effects shows up gleaming at the top and bottom of the eyestay in the form of the Metallic Gold lace cages. Each is shaped like a fan with nine eyelets to allow different options for how to style the shoe’s black laces, and the rear ones are connected to black triangular wings that strengthen its structural integrity. Amongst these features on the quarter panel are three areas of black netting that facilitate ventilation over the top of the foot while also delivering a captivating aesthetic.

The use of black suede continues over the tongue, which hosts a black woven label with a Metallic Gold Jumpman artfully embroidered into it alongside Flight text in the same golden thread. More sleek black shading fills out the inside of the shoe, where it coats everything except for the gold-coloured Jumpman logo. Meanwhile, back on the outer, a moulded heel panel has been slotted in between the layers of suede to give the rear of the foot plenty of character. Like much of the sneaker, it is black, and it has been shaped into a fan which matches the moulded eyelets, except that where those have holes, it has embossed cubes, thus making it a convenient pull tab for getting the shoe on easily. Below this lies the final flamboyant feature – a Metallic Gold Jumpman that completes this regal Air Jordan sneaker.