Air Jordan 4 SB, What To Expect

Rumours are continuing to bubble up surrounding the release of the Air Jordan 4 SB, expected to arrive in 2023. 

Anticipation initially began around May when pro skater Eric Koston, who has a long history with Nike SB dating back to 2010, uploaded a video onto Instagram which sees him performing a fakie tre flip in a pair of what appears to be a sample pair of the Air Jordan 4 SB in a fan favourite ‘Black Cat’ colourway. Later the same day, Koston uploaded a close-up image of the sneaker he was wearing which read ‘18434B-18’ on the heel which could be a reference to the sample number. 

While internal collaboration between Nike’s Jordan Brand and SB lineages may seem strange, this isn’t the first time the two have worked together after they initially worked on three projects, thanks to Eric Koston, including the Air Jordan 1 Low SB ‘UNC’ in 2019 as well as the Air Jordan 1 SB LA to Chicago which was released the same year.

With the earliest mock-ups seemingly referencing the original Black and Red colourway released in 1989, it is currently uncertain as to exactly what the official colourway(s) of the AJ4 SB will be. 

In the images provided by Eric Koston, the upper appears to be made of a heavyweight suede material that is usually seen on skate shoes due to its durability. This material is featured over the entire upper, including the wings that wrap around the ankle. 

Further images released in late September see a slightly different variant of the SB. This time being worn by Paul Rodriguez who signed with Nike in 2004, the image seems to show a predominantly smooth black leather upper with the addition of suede overlays found on the mudguard. 

Diehard Air Jordan 4 fans will be disappointed to see that on the heel, the Jumpman logo is used as opposed to the ‘Nike Air’. The grey Jumpman seen on the back is also featured on the classic ‘Flight’ tongue tab on the front of the sneaker. 

Where the regular AJ4 usually features a slimmer upper, the latest images of the sneaker on foot suggest that Nike have played with this feature by expanding it and making it more cushioned.

However, it is not uncommon for a sample pair of sneakers to be all black while the brand work on it and send it out for wear testing, with the hosts of the Complex Sneakers Podcast suggesting that they’d spoken to someone at Nike who alluded to the final product looking different. 

At the time of writing, little is known about what the final design, colourway or rollout of the Air Jordan 4 SB will look like. However, the ever-growing popularity surrounding both the Air Jordan 4 and Nike SB (primary the Dunk) will ensure that the two coming together will be met with a positive response. 

For the latest on the Air Jordan 4 SB, keep it Kick Game.