Even before the Bulls championship dynasty began, Michael Jordan had already
established himself as the world’s best player. Heading into the 1989-90 season,
the promotion of Phil Jackson to head coach, along with the additions of Scottie
Pippen and Horace Grant to complement MJ, laid the foundation for Chicago’s
reign of six titles in eight years. Presented here is a pair of Nike Air Jordan
IV's worn by their namesake that season as he posted a league-leading 33.6
points per game—his fourth straight scoring title. Wearing the black version of
this model during the ’89 playoffs, “His Airness” nailed that famous hanging jumper
over the Cavs’ Craig Ehlo, better known as “The Shot.”
Another creation from famed designer Tinker Hatfield, the AJ IV is
considered among the more comfortable in the series. The Jumpman logo made its
second appearance on the tongue with the word “Flight” added below it. The
sculpted midsole and visible Air unit were carried over, but the sneaker world
was introduced to Nubuck (leather) uppers and mesh to increase breathability. It
also featured plastic heel tabs labeled “Nike Air” and triangular plastic pieces
attached to the Nubuck. Mars Blackmon returned to the ad campaign to increase marketability
and make it among the most revered of all Air Jordan models.
This particular white-bodied style displays solid evidence of use with consistent
creasing, light soiling and a few red paint transfers from in-game contact. The soles display moderate
cracking to the rear cushioning material and the interior shows obvious sock sweating.
The Bulls superstar has beautifully signed the front outer toes of each sneaker
in 6-7/10 black marker. The shoes are properly tagged by Nike on the interior
with Jordan’s size 13 and “890708FT2” manufacturer date coding. The white laces
and black insoles appear to be the originals. MJ wore this colorway consistently
into February of the 1989-90 season. Aside from the minor cracking mentioned,
they present in excellent condition compared to other examples, with all structural
elements well-preserved and intact. In most cases, the outsoles are heavily
deteriorated and the plastic pieces have broken off.
2 Full LOAs from PSA/DNA, one for each shoe.
Provenance: This pair was initially sold at auction in 2001 for $6,899. According to the auction house’s description,
it was "given directly to our consignor from Jordan, following a Bulls game at
Madison Square Garden in New York on March 13, 1990. Jordan, who was relentless
and determined to beat the Knicks every time out, scored 34 points and grabbed
eight rebounds in the contest. The shoes are from the collection of the
'Insider', who's items have been featured in past catalog's. LOA from
consignor. LOA from Dan Knoll, Dave Bushing and Steve Grad." It should be noted that the original paperwork is missing and we were
unable to get a conclusive photo-match to this attributed game.