Retro Rewind: Eminem's Air Jordan 4 "Encore" Was Almost Jordan Brand's First-Ever Collab

The recent release of the UNDEFEATED x Air Jordan 4 in an iconic "Deep Green/Clementine" color scheme prompted discussions about the year's best sneaker; whether or not Nike, Inc. should continue retroing "grails"; and the influence of projected stock numbers on consumer shopping habits.

One other topic inspired by the return of the MA-1 flight jacket-informed pair related to how Eddie Cruz and James Bond's retro served as Jordan Brand's first-ever collaboration when it landed in July 2005.

Link-ups within the world of sneakers are far too common nowadays, but they were rather novel throughout the early aughts. Michael Jordan's eponymous label is highly-selective with whom it collaborates today, so imagine how strict things were shortly after "His Airness" retired from professional basketball. UNDEFEATED proved to be an excellent debut collaborator as its Air Jordan project—limited to just 72 pairs—immediately became the stuff of legends within the burgeoning sneaker-collecting scene.

History, however, almost unfolded differently thanks to Eminem.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III has amassed over a handful of Nike, Inc. sneaker collabs over the years, but everything started ahead of the Anger Management Tour held throughout Summer 2005.

Accompanied by 50 Cent, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, D12, and others, Eminem took his fifth studio album, Encore, across the U.S. Specifics about the timeline have been lost to time, but the Detroit-born rapper visited Nike's World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon in the early to mid-2000s. While on campus, he reportedly came across a blue-colored pair of the Air Jordan 4. Unbeknownst to him, the sneaker—officially clad in a "Blue Ribbon/Varsity Red/Stealth/Black" color scheme—was a sample by UNDEFEATED for its AJ4 project. The BlackBerry 7230-inspired style was eventually passed on in favor of the olive-and-orange pair now known as Team Jumpman's first-ever collaboration, opening the door for Eminem to use the color-blocking for his own Jordan Brand project.

According to folks privy to behind-the-scenes conversations, Eminem worked out a deal with Cruz to utilize the "Blue Ribbon/Varsity Red" look. Shortly after, the Air Jordan 4 "Encore" was born.

Limited to just 50 pairs, the blue nubuck-donning retro immediately became one of the rarest Air Jordans outside pairs worn by M.J. during his NBA career, trumping the UNDEFEATED collaboration.

The Encore-commemorating sneaker was exclusively gifted to Friends & Family of the Michigan-native, making the pair the stuff of legends; the collaboration was barely visible for the better part of the 2000s, but that changed with the dawn of social media.

Thanks to platforms like Instagram, previously concealed pairs of Eminem's first Air Jordan project have become more visible than ever. After-market platforms like StockX also allowed folks in ownership of the rare retro to sell it for tens of thousands of dollars, making the "Encore" collaboration one of the most-expensive sneakers of all-time.

In December 2023, luxury auction house, Sotheby's, listed a signed pair of Eminem's AJ4 from '05. The sneaker sold for $50,800, reaffirming its importance within the intersection of music, sports, fashion, and pop culture.

Throughout the years, Michael Jordan's eponymous imprint and Marshall Mathers worked on other projects. Their second arrived in 2008 in the form of the widely-divisive Air Jordan 2 "The Way I Am" collab. The duo, however, has revisited the Jordan 4 on a number of occasions, with 2017 marking a retro of the original "Encore" pair.

In support of Detroit-based after-market platform, StockX, Eminem and Jordan Brand recreated their blue-and-red-colored sneaker to raise money for charity. The '17 edition of the "Encore" pair played into the title of Em's ninth studio album, Revival. It was rarer than its predecessor, with only 23 pairs having been made.

As with other retros of once-limited footwear styles, the new iteration featured some details that differentiated it from the OG in order to keep some uniqueness intact on the first project. Fans of the shoe could make one or more $10 donations for a chance to win the "Encore" retro or eight other products (mostly Nike, Inc. footwear) from the "Slim Shady" universe.

A U.S. Men's size 12 of the second-ever Air Jordan collaboration's second edition sold on StockX for $17,468 on May 13, 2021.

Eminem and His Airness continue to work together, most recently having made headlines in 2022 thanks to a special Air Jordan 3 worn at Super Bowl LVI.

There's no telling what's next for the 20-plus years relationship between two giants of their craft, but it's safe to bet people want more AJ4s from the duo. And understandably so—the iconic sneaker designed by Tinker Hatfield in 1989 served as the initial canvas for a linkup between both greats, and almost kicked off Jordan Brand's foray into the world of collaborations.

Enjoy more photos of Eminem's "Encore" Air Jordans ahead, and check out the latest Nike Air Max offerings (another Slim Shady-favorite) when you're done.