- SHARE:
This article of the Air Jordan 4 Fire Red goes out to sneaker collector Mike Hardaway who passed away but always showed me love and always rocked fresh J’s. These are referred to as the Fire Reds as they are a retro of an OG colorway.
It’s tough for a sneaker collector like myself to pass up on an OG colorway on a model like this, even if I’m not a huge fan of the comfort of the 4 (more on that later). The sneaker still looks awesome in all its retro glory.
These have also previously been released with the Spike Lee character Mars Blackmon on the outer rear of the shoe, however the 2012 and 2020 releases do not feature the graphic. The 2012 version released with the “varsity red” color instead of fire red. However most still refer to that release as a retro of the Fire Red 4s anyway.
The 2020 release ships with an orange plastic Nike Air hangtag and features the Nike Air branding on the back of the shoe. This is more true to the “OG” makeup of the sneaker, vs the 2012 which had a Jumpman on the back.
The 2020 release comes with flat white laces and are packaged in the typical Air Jordan 4 cement speckled black and grey box.
Materials on the Air Jordan 4
These have an entirely smooth leather upper. The quality on the 2012 was average Jordan Brand quality for the time, i.e., not that great. The 2020 release however is a little bit better – but not by much.
The leather is somewhat softer and seems to have more of a slight grain to it. Unfortunately, it still falls flat visually and texturally vs a sneaker with better leather. Maybe I’m spoiled by all the New Balance pickups lately!
At least the 2020 AJ4 Fire Red don’t have the shiny, cheap plasticky feel of the 2012 retro.
How Do They Fit?
Air Jordan 4s always seemed a bit odd fitting and not super comfortable to me, and the Air Jordan 4 Fire Red is no exception. These fit snug around the toe, and if I hadn’t rushed through the purchase on SNKRS, I would have gone up in size. There is something about the way the sneaker paneling is put together on the interior of the shoe that causes intense pinky rub.
I recommend a half size up if you can, but if you can’t, true to size will work with some breaking in. Still, not much has changed since the last pair of 4s I got, and the comfort level is nothing to write home about. These are basically just comfortable enough to wear for a couple of hours to stunt. But if I’m being honest, I sold all my old fours as I hate the fit overall.
Where To Cop the Air Jordan 4 Fire Red
As of the writing of this article, you can find these on eBay
Below are images for both retros of this colorway that I have owned as well as links on where to buy them on the aftermarket.
AJ4 Fire Red 2020 Release
Colorway: White / Fire Red – Black – Tech Grey
Style Code: DC7770 160
Year of Release: 2020
MSRP: $200
Buy: eBay
AJ4 Fire Red (Varsity Red) 2012 Release
Colorway: White / Varsity Red – Black
Style Code: 308497 110
Year of Release: 2012
MSRP: $160
Buy: eBay
Air Jordan 4 – Related Articles
If you like the AJ4, here are some relevant posts: