Jordan Brand is bringing black nubuck back to the Air Jordan 4 Bred on November 27. The Black Friday release revisits one of Tinker Hatfield’s original 1989 colorways, two years after the “Bred Reimagined” put the same palette on a full-grain leather upper. The material is only part of the update. The 2026 pair also revisits the shape and fit of the original, following the proportions Jordan Brand began using with the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 “Pine Green” in 2023.
SNEAKERS
The black upper keeps the side netting and molded support wings that distinguish the Air Jordan 4. Cement Grey draws attention to the eyelets and raised Nike Air lettering on the heel, while Summit White breaks up the midsole and Fire Red carries through to the outsole. The heel window exposes the Air unit, and the tongue carries the Jumpman above the Flight script, a combination that first appeared on the Air Jordan 4. Men’s pairs also come in a box featuring Michael Jordan’s face.
Hatfield designed the Air Jordan 4 after the Air Jordan 3, and Jordan debuted the model at the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. The black and red pair earned its place in playoff history a few months later. On May 7, the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers met in the deciding game of their first-round series. Cleveland had swept the six regular-season meetings, and Craig Ehlo’s layup put the Cavaliers ahead 100–99 with three seconds remaining.
Jordan caught the inbounds pass, worked his way toward the foul line and rose over Ehlo. The jumper fell at the buzzer, giving him 44 points and Chicago a 101–100 victory. The Bulls advanced and eventually reached the Eastern Conference finals. The black Air Jordan 4 Jordan wore that night became the pair associated with The Shot.
The heel is one of the quickest ways to place an earlier “Bred” retro. The 1999 edition kept the original Nike Air branding. In 2008, Jordan Brand replaced it with a Jumpman and paired the shoe with the Air Jordan 19 in the Countdown Pack. The 2012 retro kept the Jumpman and also came out on Black Friday. Nike Air returned in 2019 for the model’s 30th anniversary.
That history makes the 2019 and 2024 pairs useful points of comparison for the new edition. The 2019 retro already brought together black nubuck and Nike Air branding, so the main update for collectors who own that pair is the shape. The difference from 2024 is more immediately visible. The leather “Bred Reimagined” has a grained surface, while the 2026 nubuck gives the black panels a matte finish. Across those releases, the palette stays familiar even as the material, proportions and heel branding have changed.
The Bred colorway also moves from the hardwood to the gridiron this November. The Air Jordan 4 Retro TD Bred carries the black, red and grey palette of Jordan’s 1989 playoff shoe onto an American football cleat, where widely spaced molded studs take the place of the original’s flat court outsole.
The Air Jordan 4 Retro OG Bred releases on Friday, November 27, 2026, through Nike SNKRS and select retailers. Men’s pairs retail for $230 under style code IX8180-001. Nike also lists big kids’ sizes at $165, little kids’ sizes at $105, and toddler sizes at $90.
Name: Air Jordan 4 Retro OG Bred
Colorway: Black/Cement Grey-Summit White-Fire Red
SKU: IX8180-001
Price: 230 USD
Release Date: November 27
Available at: Nike and select retailers
