Sneaker of the year...The Jordan IV Bred

It was May 7th 1989. The Chicago Bulls were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Bulls needed a win to eliminate the Cavs in Game 5, but with three seconds left on the clock and the score 100-99 they needed a miracle. That miracle being His Airness, Michael Jordan. This iconic moment also known as “The Shot” is engraved into everyone’s memory. Michael gets the ball with two seconds left gets to the free throw line jumps and makes the shoot beating the buzzer. The Bulls win 101-100. Game over.

If you look hard enough you see probably the best Jordan sneaker ever released, and my choice for 2024’s Sneaker of the Year. With many sneakers coming out in 2024, collaborations, reissues, and new sneakers that are game changing. Opinions will vary and the choices are numerous. I mean you can check Complex’s list that they annually put out, but in my humble opinion this sneaker has the history, the design, the significance to the sneaker culture and the fact that it can work with a ton of fits.

The Jordan IV Breds re-imagined. The historical significance is obvious, but the re-imagined issue fixed an issue I had with the last reissues. This may be controversial, but I was never a fan of the nubuck leather, and that’s not because the material itself was bad, but because of where I live. You see a black sneaker made out of nubuck leather will never be black once its out of the box, the dust will devour the sneaker completely. The re-imagined issue changes the uppers from nubuck leather to a full grain leather upper, and I LOVE IT! The quality of leather is amazing and plush.

Staying true to the original, even though it’s a reimagined, the heel tab remains true to the original with the “Nike Air” tab unlike the 1999 reissue of the sneaker which had the Jumpman logo on the tab. Everything about the sneaker stays true to the original sneakers that were released back in 1989, including the stitches under the wings being tighter and higher on each side of the sneaker. Granted the Jordan 4’s originally come with black laces, and these did too, BUT I kind of wanted to change the laces to white because they complement the colors.

Considering the sneakers that came out this year including the reissue of the cult classic the WuTang Clan Nike Dunk High, the Adidas AE1’s that brought back wearing basketball shoes with fits, and the sneaker that I missed out on the ASICS x Hidden NYC collab. I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan. Space Jam was the only reason I picked up a basketball and never let it go, even with all the injuries that the game caused. When it comes to the sneakers the Jordan brand puts out, most of the time I’m biased toward all the OG reissues. I picked mine up when they dropped from SNKR Store, check them out if you’re looking for you’re next sneaker!