Anniversaries are something taken very seriously by sneaker brands. Paying homage to OGs while also introducing new flavors, commemorative years are typically filled with a slew of styles showing love to models made famous 10, 20 or even 30 years before.
In 2018, such has been the case for the Air Jordan 3. The model has released with Nike Air on the heels of the famed Black/Cement OG, paid homage to the ’88 Dunk Contest with the “Free Throw Line” pair and is releasing at retail for the first time in the famed “Katrina” colorway. So, will 2019 be the same way for the Air Jordan 4?
Early indications and history suggest yes. While the shoe will see collaborative colorways in the form of Travis Scott’s two Cactus Jack makeups likely this year, it might all be an effort to heat up the winged silo for a banner year in 2019 which will serve as its 30th anniversary.
To that end, the reliable leaker @pinoe77 is reporting the return of two OGs worn by Mike as well as a seldom seen sample.
Said news finds the “Fire Red” and Black/Cement colorways of the AJ4 slated for a 2019 release. One would assume such banner shoes would see All-Star or Black Friday launch dates though nothing is confirmed at this point. Just the same, one would hope for Nike Air on the heels.
The third take would be the “Sample” splatter that has surfaced before in the OVO crew in retro form but has never seen a formal release in recent years nor during its first foray into the factory.
If the AJ3 is any case study, OGs, samples and sketches should serve as a template for the Air Jordan 4 releases we could see come 2019. Until then, we celebrate the elephant clad favorite and wait.
Lead photo of OG Air Jordan 4s by Erick Kristian via Demetri Darmos‘ collection. Check out his whole OG Air Jordan collection here.
