A Closer Look at the Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder”

A Closer Look at the Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder”

A brief history of the Air Jordan 4’s legacy, and why you need the new “Red Thunder” colorway.

Matt DeSciora

The last time Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan 4, he was getting clobbered by the Detroit Pistons of “Bad Boys” fame. That was in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in 1989, over 30 years ago. In spite of its age and Jordan’s retirement, the shoe remains popular to this day. Nostalgia is part of the equation, as is the fact that it’s just a damn good looking shoe. The Jordan 4 has also stayed relevant all these years because of its non-original colorways and high-profile collaborations. Everything from the “Oreo” in 1999, to Eminem’s legendary collab in 2005, to the drastically remodeled Union LA edition from 2020 have kept the Jordan 4 in the limelight.

Clearly the Air Jordan 4 has been able to stay current by reinventing itself, which in turn gives more people the chance to own the shoe. Jordan Brand will add to its legacy this weekend when it releases the Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder.”

To tell the story of the “Red Thunder” is to travel back in time to 2006. That year, Jordan Brand released a total of eight(!) Jordan 4s. Colorways like the original “Military Blue” played to the shoe’s rich heritage, while styles like the “Mars Blackmon” were informed by classic Jordan 4 advertisements featuring Jordan and Spike Lee.

Most releases were available at local sneaker stores, except for two: the Air Jordan 4 “Thunder” and “Lightning,” which were released exclusively on Jumpman23.com, Jordan Brand’s former website, in limited quantities. Naturally everyone wanted the black-and-yellow sneakers, but few were able to get them.

Collectors were given a second shot at the “Thunder” colorway in 2012, but they had to wait almost ten more years to get their hands on the more rare “Lightning” Jordan 4, in 2021.

Now Jordan Brand is elaborating on the “Thunder & Lightning” collection by giving us the collection’s first-ever spin-off: the “Red Thunder.” The shoe is basically a carbon copy of its “Tour Yellow” predecessor, except where the “Thunder” features yellow accents, the “Red Thunder” has… wait for it… red accents.

Looking at the “Red Thunder,” the shoe’s black-and-red color scheme has a very “Bred” quality to it, even if its red detailing skews more “Infrared” than the “Varsity Red” found on the original Air Jordan 1. Either way, it’s easy to imagine it as a retro colorway from 1989, a sibling to the Jordan 4’s original “Bred” colorway, if you will.

Of course, Jordan never did wear the “Red Thunder” in the NBA. But maybe that’s a good thing. (He actually did wear them on the sidelines of a recent Hornets vs. Knicks game, though!) The Air Jordan 4’s non-original colorways have always given collector’s the ability to create their own memories with the vintage hoops shoe. The “Red Thunder” continues the tradition.

The Air Jordan 4 “Red Thunder” is available now at Stadium Goods in Men’s and Grade School sizing.