Price: $215 [Check eBay for Current Prices]
Why Buy?
The Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined has quality materials for this type of sneaker, and a classic design.
Why Avoid?
The Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined isn’t a classic Jordan 4 Bred, and is a kind of basic design as far as Jordans go.
Specs
| Model | Jordan 4 |
| Height | Mid |
| Materials | Leather / PU / Rubber |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 700 g / 1 lb 8.69 oz |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | China |
History
The reimagined line that Jordan brand has been releasing has seen it’s fair share of ups and downs. And, if we’re going to be honest, there has been a lot more downs. Other than maybe the Jordan 3 White Cement, everything in the line would have been better if they had just released the original version. That isn’t to say they were all bad, I think I might have had the most positive review of the suede Royals on the internet, but they were not as good as they could have been.
However, all that might have just changed. With the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined, Jordan brand is releasing the first model with objectively higher quality materials. Not maybe-improved-for-the-small-percentage-of-the-population-that-already-owns-the-original-and-wants-a-slightly-different-version better, but actually better materials.
I’m not a huge Jordan 4 guy, but I have to say, this idea of selling a reimagined as an improved model instead of just a different model really caught my eye. It also raises a lot of questions from the original design: Did the blowback to the cost of the Jordan 2 cause them to use cheaper models to hit a lower cost? Could Tinker have been wrong in his original designs? Could this be the first reimagined that is more desirable than the normal model?
Let’s dive in and find out.
Looks
Upper
The upper of the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined looks mostly, well, like a Jordan 4 Bred. Starting with the obvious, all the durabuck has been removed and replaced with leather (and faux-leather). On the upper. That includes the wavy toe guard, the perforation-less toe panel, and the midfoot panel in leather.
Up closer to the heel is where you’ll find some pretty bad fake leather.
It’s a shame that Jordan brand cheaped out there because, at least for this type of sneaker, the leather on the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined isn’t half bad. The top coating is minimal and there is a good amount of grain. That faux-leather around the ankle is just about the worst I’ve seen. I’ve seen reviews split, saying the leather on this sneaker is great and others saying awful – I think this panel is what’s causing the confusion.
Elsewhere you’ll find the classic Jordan 4 hits. The rubberized plastic wings and heel tab. Nike Air back there, in case you’re wondering. On these they are softer than older pairs, which also gives them more of a matte finish. Again, this is an upgrade in my eyes, but if you want a 2019 Jordan 4 Bred, these are not it.
Inside, the sneaker is lined with a poly grey lining on the sneaker, with red lining on the tongue. Speaking of the tongue, there is third black material here. It’s still fake leather, but something more in line with what you would expect on a Nike Air branded Jordan 4.
Everything is finished off with a cloth Jumpman with cursive “Flight” text on the tongue alongside black flat laces.
Mid- and Outsole
Coming to the bottom half of the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined, you’ll again find that grey / red / black motif. Though, they did mix in some white.
The rubber outsole, primarily in grey, wraps up around the front of the sneaker in a fairly aggressive pattern. This is where that pinky crushing comes in that people mention, though more on that later. Exposed foam near the toebox and around the back is painted in black near the top and white near the midsole.
Of course, you can’t forget the exposed air unit in the heel, with white supports inside.
On the bottom of the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined, a herringbone pattern that Tinker Hatfeild loved is very present. And, who could miss, Nike branding instead of Jordan.
Summary
On the Jordan 4 Bred overall, you can get out your pitch forks because I’m just not the biggest fan. For a main line Jordan sneaker, it’s just so plain. Every leather panel, the laces, the tongue, the heel cap, most of the midsole – it’s all black. There is a time and a place for an all-black sneaker, but for my Jordans? Give me something with interest. It could be elephant print like on the White Cement 3s, or the big bold red swoosh on the Bred 1s.
I should also say, as I get older and older, I find the Jordan 4 is just a much harder sneaker to wear. I think it’s the wings on the side. Of course, that is something for me personally. Styling is entirely subjective.
As for the changes on the reimagined, I really like them. I know they probably won’t be as good to actually play in, but I don’t think anyone has played in Jordan 4’s for 20 years. From a lifestyle perspective, the changes look great and should make the sneaker easier to style.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
For decades, the Jordan 4 has been known as the pinky-toe crusher. A tight toebox and high rubber cut ups meant that it would destroy your toes. Your choices were to size up to where your foot slid around, or just dealt with pain. Neither is a good option.
Thankfully, Jordan brand created a new last and tooling for the Jordan 4 SB and the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined uses this new shape. And, let me tell you, from a fit perspective it is night and day.
I personally love the new fit of these sneakers. They won’t fit everyone, no sneaker does, but instead of having maybe 30 percent of people fit these well, I’d say it’s probably closer to 80.
In light of these changes, I would strongly recommend you take your standard Jordan size. It is still a big sneaker, but very heavily padded. It will hold your foot in place. If you really needed to you might be able to go down half a size from something like your Jordan 5 and Jordan 1 size, but it would be uncomfortable for weeks while you compressed that padding.
Comfort
When it comes to the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined’s comfort, it’s still a Jordan 4. The new last is a major comfort improvement, but at the end of the day, it’s a design from the 1980’s. That means small air units in a fairly basic PU foam. The entire package is also incredibly heavy for a casual sneaker.
Jordan brand did use a softer PU than models from the 2010s, but don’t expect to be wowed.
All that being said, I would be OK wearing these for a full day of just hanging out. If I was doing a lot of walking or carrying heavy objects, these would not be my first choice.
Materials & Construction
Materials
Materials – the reason for being for the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined. I covered almost all of these above, but let’s take a deeper look.
Starting off with the leather. It’s not bad for a Jordan product. Yes, there is still a plastic coating. Yes, it’s still thin. However, it’s perfectly serviceable, looks good, and will outlast the life of the outsole. You shouldn’t go out and buy these because the leather is the best but you shouldn’t avoid them for it either.
Moving onto the faux leather. It’s bad. Using real leather here would have been less than a dollar per shoe more. I get that’s $500k in profit for Jordan brand, and I doubt anybody skips this sneaker for it, but come on. Do better.
Like the Jordan 4 SB, the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined uses the rubberized plastic for the wings and heel tab. While not quite as soft as the ones on those, these will still be way more comfortable and durable compared to what you used to get. I think it’s an objective upgrade.
Underfoot, Jordan uses a polyurethane (PU) midsole with encapsulated air units. You can learn more about various sneaker foams here, but the pros of PU are that it tends to be durable in compression (think memory foam). As for the draw backs, they tend to be among the heaviest sneakers and can crumble after only a few years. Inside that PU is a forefoot and heel air unit.
One thing to be aware of, generally the softer the PU the faster they are likely to crumble. These have obviously not been out long enough to be certain, though.
Finishing everything off, a fairly hard/durable rubber outsole should last a long time.
Construction
The Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined is made with almost entirely cemented construction. Cemented construction basically means the shoe is held together with glue (or, more correctly, contact cement).
You can learn more about the pros and cons of cemented construction here, but here is a short version. As a pro, this style of construction is the most flexible, lightest, and cheapest way to make a shoe. Since there is little to no stitching* holding anything together, this is great for athletic sneakers. As for drawbacks, the lack of stitching also means this is the least durable. It’s also extremely hard to resole these.
*The Jordan 4 does have a small amount of stitching on the toe for reinforcement.
Pricing
The Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined launched with a price of $215 retail. That is in line with recent Jordan 4 releases, though much higher than the prices were a few years ago. At time of writing there has not yet been a wide release, but resale prices are around $270. With so many pairs in circulation, after release resale will probably end up pretty close to retail. At least, it will for a while.
Check current resale prices here.
If it’s any consolation, the Jordan 4 originally launched in 1989 for a retail price of $110, or around $278 after inflation. Does that make these a good deal? Probably not, but does soften the blow just a little bit.
I’m struggling a bit to find a comparable sneaker to the Jordan 4 for a price point. It’s similar to recent 3s and 5s, but by the time the Jordan 4 had come out, it was the premium basketball sneaker. Nobody from other brands offered something similar, so comparable retros don’t make sense.
Are the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined Worth It?
Well, are the Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined Worth It? I’d say yes (as much as any Jordan brand product can be) – with one major caveat.
Starting with the positive, like the design or not, if there was ever a classic Jordan 4, it would be the Bred. It’s the one in “The Shot.” It’s the one in Nike’s promos. It’s the one in every YouTube thumbnail.
Add onto that, the Reimagined version improves on just about every single material in the sneaker. Not only is leather more durable than durabuck, the PU is better, the wings are better, the shape is better. From a purely objective standpoint, this sneaker is better.
A classic design improved from top to bottom. What’s not to love?
There is the one thing to be aware of, though. If you really want the OG. To wear what Jordan wore. To complete your collection. Whatever.
If that’s you, my advice? Don’t buy these.
While they are an improvement, they are not the OG. You will inevitably be browsing StockX a few weeks later trying to scratch that itch once again.
The post Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined: Glow Up appeared first on 100wears.
