When rumours of the Air Jordan 4 ‘London’ first popped up last autumn, British sneakerheads were… concerned. Would it be red, white, and blue? Would there be a Tube map printed across the insoles? Would the uppers be made from the same carpet as a ‘Spoons? Thankfully, the sneaker in question has just been revealed, and it’s none of the above. We can all finally relax.
Air Jordan 4 ‘London’
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Instead, the ‘London’ takes the AJ4 and covers it in shaggy ‘Dark Smoke Grey’ suede. It’s fuzzy, slightly dusty-looking, and feels far more like something you’d actually see on the streets of the capital than a trainer covered in Union Jacks. Slick ‘Black’ accents hit the laces, lining, wings, tongue label, and most of the midsole, while a dark brick-red shade called ‘Red Bark’ appears underneath. There are small touches of brownish ‘Hemp’ thrown in too, but the whole thing is nice and low-key.
The London stuff is hidden in the details. Around the back, ‘LDN’ is stamped on the heel tab, sharing space with the usual Nike Air branding rather than replacing it. ‘SAY LESS’ is stitched behind the tongues, while the Nike LDN hangtag and special edition box make it feel a little more important than your standard Jordan. Crucially, none of it screams “I bought this in the duty-free shop at Heathrow.”
It arrives during a particularly big year for the Air Jordan 4. The legendary OG ‘Bred’ colourway is set to make a comeback later this year, complete with the original heel branding and all the details that made the ’80s pair so iconic. That’s going to be the one for the purists. The ‘London’, though, is something entirely new – and far harder to get if you don’t live here.
British sneakerheads can sometimes feel a little left out. The biggest regional exclusives tend to land in America or Japan, while we sit refreshing Snkrs and paying terrifying shipping fees. So it’s nice to know that, for once, everyone else gets to be jealous of us. The Air Jordan 4 ‘London’ will be exclusive to the UK when it drops on September 12 through Nike, the Snkrs app, and select stockists. Sorry, America. Say less.
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