Jordan 4 Retro SE

This commemorative Jordan 4 Retro SE is a composite of four classic colorways that have been brought together to make a completely unique sneaker. Its melding of prior designs puts it among Nike’s “What The” series, each of which combines different styles in a daring and compelling way, something which has also been achieved here as it takes various elements from the unforgettable Fire Red, Military Blue, White Cement and Bred designs. While this amalgamated appearance manifests itself in the shoe’s bold mix of colors, which are mismatched across the pair, its construction remains reassuringly consistent with the classic AJ4, starting from the stable base provided by its rubber outsole. Its familiar omnidirectional herringbone grip formations host a variety of tones, from radiant Fire Red, which appears on the heel, toe cap and Nike text of the right foot and the forefoot and branding of the left, to Cement Grey through the midfoot of the right shoe and at each end of the left. While white completes the other parts of the right foot, black and white join together through the midfoot of the left one.

Both feet exhibit the same layer of white through the back and medial side of the midsole – a feature that has a visible window revealing the Air cushioning inside it. Meanwhile, the rest of the midsole on the right sneaker is gray around the front and black along the sides and heel, whereas the left combines black on the toe with a speckled gray section in the back half that emulates the eye-catching design found on the White Cement model.

The upper of each shoe stacks several panels of high-quality white leather atop one another, with a forefoot overlay sitting over the front of the main segment, which reaches from the toe to the heel, before a quarter panel and collar finish the look. Varying hues then appear on the TPU lace cages that secure the white laces on both feet. The two on the medial side of the left foot are Fire Red, and those on its lateral flank are Cement Grey, while the right foot displays blue on one side and black on the other. Intriguingly, the white mesh netting on the quarter reveals black material across the left foot and blue through the right, with both allowing the same pleasant levels of breathability.

Black structural wings support the left foot, and gray ones bolster the right, its medial piece lightly flecked with black to match the midsole on the opposite shoe. Each heel panel has been formed into the typical fan shape at the top, but the colors are different once more, the left decorated in blue with white Nike Air lettering, the right gray and spotted behind its embossed black branding. Inside, the left brings together Fire Red and black, the former tone on its Nike Air text, and the right adds black wording along with a Fire Red insole and white lining. The back of the left tongue is blue, while its counterpart is red, and both host an Air Jordan patch. Dynamic differences also occur on the topside of each tongue as the right is black with a Fire Red Jumpman above white Flight text, and the left juxtaposes white, blue and black on the equivalent parts, thus completing this memorable sneaker with powerful tonal contrasts.