The Air Jordan 4 Motorsport are basically the white/red Air Jordan 4s with a palette swap of red to blue. Michael Jordan’s Motorsports Team’s 4th anniversary coincided with the release of the Mars 4 in 2006, and members got this shoe in celebration. Since the Mars are basically the white/red 4s with a Spike Lee face towards the rear of the shoe, the original Motorsports release also has this detail. Due to its limited nature, OG Motorsports go for huge aftermarket prices.
This retro does away with the face graphic and the limited quantities, finally making this colorway available to everyone that wants it. While the hype isn’t there for these at time of release, only time will tell if this shoe will become appreciated by Jordan fans in the long term.
I have an easier time generally with red-based kicks rather than blue. Often, matching up too much blue leads to a poor looking outfit. Since these kicks are mostly white, I would go with a contrasting white top/dark bottom look. You could even get away with a medium wash on some denim with these. I would use blue as an accent color (if you use it at all) rather than as a main focal point of an outfit when sporting the Motorsport 4s.
How Are The Materials?
The leather on these is a bit better than previous AJ4 retros, but it is definitely not premium. On the positive side, it’s not as shiny as the worst Jordan brand leather, and its not as stiff either. What we wind up with is an unremarkable leather that just works. While the materials aren’t amazingly buttery, at least they’re not stiff and plasticky either.
How Do They Fit?
The Air Jordan 4 Motorsport fit weird like other Air Jordan 4s. I find 4s with this level of materials to fit small, while other pairs seem to fit true to size. In any case, the newer 4s seem to fit a bit narrower, so my advice on this particular pair is to go up a half size. It might look a little big on foot but it’s better than pinky toe blisters! Sizing and comfort for me are definite issues with the 4 and going up in size seems to alleviate that and make these very comfortable. By contrast, the alternate colorway with softer leather seems to fit true to size thanks to the extra “give” in the materials.
This shoe is in my opinion a new classic. While it’s not an original colorway, it’s close enough with the simple red to blue change that it maintains the same vibe. This release also gives fans of the 4 a chance to get their hands on a Motorsports shoe. Even though these are mass produced, I can still see them taking on value in a few years, so if you’re a collector or if you just want some fresh new 4s, I recommend picking these up while the prices are down!
Where To Buy the Air Jordan 4 Motorsport
As of the writing of this article, you can find these on eBay
Colorway: White / Game Royal – Black
Style Code: 308497 117
Year of Release: 2017
MSRP: $190
Air Jordan 4 – Related Articles
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