SOLE MUSIC: Undefeated x Air Jordan 4
It’s been a huge week in sneakers, especially if you’ve been a collector for a long time. Two all-time pairs came back to life this week, with Jordan Brand reintroducing the Shattered Backboard Jordan 1 High and the elusive Undefeated x Jordan 4, for which there were only 72 pairs in existence before the streets got flooded.
Our managing editor Nick raised a polarizing question to the team yesterday, wondering if drops like this are a good or bad thing for the culture. On one hand, longtime enthusiasts are finally getting their hands on their grails. But on the other hand, the people who jumped through hoops to get the OG pairs before it was as easy as a one-click checkout now have their biggest accomplishment watered down somewhat.
I see both sides, and ultimately think that the entire culture getting excited about Shattered Backboards and Undefeateds a decade plus later is net-positive, introducing a whole new generation of sneakerheads to the lore of each. For example, we posted a story yesterday about how Undefeated unexpectedly designed two of the rarest and most sought-after Jordan 4s in history while coming up with how their collab would look. Guaranteed, a lot of people learned that for the first time yesterday, and we wouldn’t have had the context to tell that story if Undefeated 4s weren’t on the top of everyone’s mind and shopping cart this week.
It got me thinking about how these iconic sneakers bridge the gap between generations and can spark conversations that lessen the divide between communities of people who otherwise may not connect. You know what else does that? Music.
So, turn up the volume on your speakers, or put on your headphones if you’re still in your office for another few hours on this Friday afternoon. I asked the whole Sole Retriever team which song came to mind when they think about Undefeated 4s, to see how different people from different eras and regions and walks of life may associate these sneakers with the culture around them.
We got a wide range of responses but they were all bangers, and it actually works as a cohesive playlist. From the military vibes of the shoe evoking war anthems like “Fortunate Son” and “War Pigs” to the early 2000s heat of the shoe’s original release represented by Carter 2 Weezy and Three 6 Mafia.
Hit play on Sole Retriever’s Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 playlist now and just leave it on repeat until your pair hit the doorstep. Or, use this to distract yourself from the fact that you somehow didn’t get SNKRS Exclusive Access yesterday. [raises lighter in the air in solidarity]
Drew oversees content at Sole Retriever and hates writing in the 3rd person soooo I'm going to stop. I've written for countless blogs and magazines, from Complex to XXL and everywhere in between. Spent a long time in LA, running content and working on branded collabs at The Hundreds. Now, I'm back home on the East Coast freezing my ass off. Email me at drew@soleretriever.com with scoops, story ideas, and size 13 heat.
