The Air Jordan 4 “White Cement” left a lasting mark on the visual culture of its time—first on Michael Jordan’s feet, stepping away from the usual impact of red and black, and later on Buggin’ Out in Do the Right Thing, a moment that transcended sports.
The Air Jordan 3 was revolutionary. But after that impact, Nike faced a tough challenge: repeating its success. To do so, the Air Jordan 4 took a different path—one of evolution. The AJ3 was the first Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield, who, following Peter Moore’s departure, had to rush the process to completion. For the Jordan 4, however, Tinker had time to fully develop the ideas that had been left behind in the previous model.
Grey: How Cement Took Hold in the Jordan Legacy
In its early releases, Jordan models followed a basic color scheme. The Jordan 2 came in two colorways for each version (Hi and Low), and the Jordan 3 launched with four original colorways—three aligned with the Chicago Bulls (White/Cement Grey, White/Fire Red, and Black/Cement Grey) and one more (White/Cement Grey–True Blue) that didn’t match the team’s palette. Michael only wore the True Blue in a friendly game between a team of NBA players and the U.S. national team on August 14, 1988.
The Jordan 4 also debuted in four colorways. One of them—Military Blue—stepped away from Bulls colors, while the other three —White/Fire Red-Black, Black/Cement Grey (later known as the Jordan 4 Bred), and White/Black (now known as the Jordan 4 White Cement)—were game-ready.
Unexpectedly, it was this last one that drew the most attention. Not only because Michael Jordan began wearing it after the All-Star Game—just the right moment to unveil a new model—but also because it marked one of the first times a non-Bulls NBA player laced up in a pair of Jordans. That player was Kevin Johnson of the Phoenix Suns, who had previously worn the Flight 89, a model that shared its build with the Jordan 4. The use of grey tones—seen by the NBA as neutral—allowed the sneakers to match various team uniforms.
Cultural Impact: The Jordan 4 “White Cement” in Do the Right Thing
However, the cultural relevance of the Jordan 4 “White Cement” extended far beyond the court. Spike Lee, who had started collaborating with Nike through his character Mars Blackmon during the Jordan 3 era, reached out to the brand while preparing his film Do the Right Thing. He wanted to include wardrobe pieces and gear for the crew—and Jordans were essential for one key scene. The film was shot in the summer of 1988, while the Jordan 4 was still in development, and what ended up on set was a prototype with slight differences from the final version, particularly in the plastic mesh. That detail would take years to be noticed. At the time, what hit hardest was how a scene centered around an unintentional scuff could speak volumes about decades of racial tension in the neighborhood.
Just like the Jordan 1s in She’s Gotta Have It, this moment was another sign of Michael Jordan’s growing influence—not just in sports, but in culture at large.On Buggin’ Out’s feet, the Jordan 4 wasn’t just walking the streets of Bed-Stuy—it was cementing itself in collective memory.
The Jordan 4 “White Cement” has been reissued multiple times since 1999, marking its 10th anniversary. The 2025 edition promises a faithful return to the original—and will be available at FOOTDISTRICT in full-family sizing.
