It was 1989 and I was 8 years old when the original Jordan IV hit retail stores. As a kid I can vividly remember those beautiful black boxes coming from the back of the store and knowing exactly what some lucky person was getting ready to try on. Unfortunately for myself, I knew I wouldn’t be one of those people lol. Fast forward to 1998 and news leaked on SHOETRENDS -which is now a completely different site- that Nike and its new subsidiary Jordan Brand would be bringing back the Jordan IV black/red in all its original glory for 1999. Lucky for myself I had friends that worked at Modells and so when the day came that they were to release, we took a half day off from school, were let in the store early and able to buy for 20% off. These classics saw me to the end of my senior year in high school and into freshman year of college and beyond
By the time 2008 came around my 1999 IV’s were beginning to show some wear and another release was scheduled to release although this time they would be part of a pack, no longer feature Nike Air on the heel and the shape had become complete……………….trash.
Image via Flight club
At the time of the CDP drop the Military Blue IV & Mars IV had dropped so we already had an idea about what the shape would look like but the lack of Nike Air Branding was the nail in the coffin. It seemed that at the time Jordan Brand was going in a direction I wanted no part of and so it was a pass on these. Four years later we’d see another release and although the shape was SLIGHTLY improved, It would be a pass on the 2012 retro as well and it was ultimately this release that would prompt me to create the BRING BACK NIKE AIR TO JORDANS FACEBOOK PAGE
As the years passed it just became increasingly grim that we would never see a proper retro of this shoe again, that was until 2016. For 2016 Jordan Brand brought back the white cement 4 complete with Nike Air on the heel (although the shape was still poor) it was better than nothing and so there was hope that the Black/Red 4 would also return (they didn’t). No, Jordan Brand would leave us on the hook for another 3 years and yes here we are with a Black/red Jordan IV complete with Nike Air on the heel -although off centered- and an improved shape closer to the 99 release.
To celebrate this monumental release I felt only appropriate to go all the way back to 1989 and take a look back at all the greatness that was going on during that year. You see, if you didn’t live it that’s ok, break out some popcorn and scroll. If you did then get prepared for some goosebumps……
MUSIC
Whether you were a part of the Rhythm Nation
bouncing to Me Myself and I
or Pumping up the Jam there was no end to great albums and hit singles in 1989.
Hits like Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life’
The Cure’s ‘Love Song’
All Around The World
We Didn’t Start The Fire
and Queen Latifah’s ‘Dance For Me’ were larger than life.
No track however might have been as big as Public Enemy’s Fight the Power in 1989, -no matter what billboard may have you believe-. These were just some of the tracks that set the tone for the year.
FILM
If I said that 1989 was a monumental year in film it would be an understatement. Back to The Future 2
Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure
Ghost Busters 2
The Wizard
Do The Right Thing
Dead Poets Society
and of course
going to the movies was an event, and films met and exceeded the hype.
TELEVISION
From Saturday morning cartoons to TGIF Friday’s
there was no shortage of quality programming. For 1989 we watched as the Simpsons jumped from the Tracey Ullman Shorts to Prime time television. 
saw the debut of Seinfeld
were introduced to the Winslow’s
watched as Neil Patrick Harris rose to stardom as Doogie Howser MD
and how shows like The Cosby Show and A Different World continued to make history
If you were maybe a little younger and or in middle school still then you might have ran home to catch the Super Mario Super Show & Zelda
while chewing your Super Mario/ Zelda fruit snacks
and then probably over to Double Dare -if you had cable (which I didn’t)-
By the time Saturday morning rolled around it was all about TMNT
The Real Ghostbusters
Pee Wee’s Playhouse
The DJ Kat Show
and of course Saved By The Bell.
GAMING
True portable gaming was officially here. Atari and Nintendo would go head to head with competing portable consoles and road trips would never be the same -in a good way-
The Atari Lynx touted color and better graphics
while Nintendo pushed more affordability, a vast library of games and better battery life for the Gameboy which ultimately came out on top in the portability fight.
The beefing didn’t end with Atari however as 1989 saw the beginning of an all out 16 bit revolution and the beginning of the console wars. Competing companies NEC and SEGA went for the jugular with their Turbo Grafx 16 
and Bonk
while Sega Genesis and its line up of celebrity/athlete endorsed games launched its ‘Genesis does what Nintendon’t’ campaign
Both did well initially with the Genesis out selling the Turbo Grafx 16 but neither system prevented Nintendo from continuing to pump out quality games and hyped up accessories.
Games like TMNT
Mega Man 2
Double Dragon II
and the legendary -although its functionality sucked -Power Glove which also saw its launch in 1989.
AUTO
The auto industry -like everyone else -was seeing a huge transition. For 1989 we got a sneak peak at the Acura NSX concept car -which would release as a 91-
The Nissan 300ZX became available for purchase as a 1990 model
Image via RoadAndTrack
The First Pre-Merger AMG 560 SEC
SPORTS
A NFL rookie class that includes Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders and Derrick Thomas make their football card debut for Score
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice led the 49 ‘ers to a Super Bowl victory
Notre Dame wins the college football National title with QB Tony Rice and head coach Lou Holtz
Glen Rice and the Michigan Wolverines win the NCAA Basketball title
A sign of things to come……..Jordan defeats the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 Easter Conference first round on a last second game winning shot (wearing the OG black/red Jordan 4)
the Detroit Pistons win their first NBA Championship
Photo via NBA entertainment
Upper Deck launches its first card set with hall of famer Ken Griffey Jr as the number one card.
Billy Ripken has $%^& Face written on the bottom of his bat during a photo shoot for his 89 Fleer card. Fleer goes on to issue more of the cards although with white out and a black box over the FF but it only adds to the allure of the card.
An Oakland A’s team that included Ricky Henderson, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart, Dennis Eckersley wins the world series
SNEAKERS
Ahhhhhhh, here were are. While Nintendo, NEC and SEGA were involved in their console wars Reebok and Nike were fighting it out in the footwear industry. For 1989 we saw the first inflatable Reebok and Nike shoes which were Reebok’s premier Pump Shoe
and Nike’s Air Pressure
Reebok would go on to claim victory in the Pump wars but we know how it all played out in the end.
Nike’s ‘BO KNOWS’ campaign debuts for the Nike Air Trainer SC II
Patrick Ewing goes on to become the first athlete with his own sneaker company debuting the Phoenix on the David Letterman show
but not before he pulls out the Jordan black/red Jordan IV as a joke
Michael Jackson Signs to L.A. Gear for 7.5 Million – a deal that would be a huge factor in the demise of the brand-
Converse teams up with DC Comics to capitalize on the success of the Batman movie by way of a Batman and Joker Converse All Star. Converse Japan would go on to re issue them in 2012 under the US Originators series
Jason Lee appears in a 1989 ad for the classic Airwalk Prototype
The Air Flow releases
The Hi-Tec Badwater 146 drops
The Reebok CXT
Nike unveils the Flight line which includes the Solo Flight
Air Flight High
and Air Flight Low
Mike and Spike make their sophomore appearance for the OG Nike Air Jordan IV white/ cement & Black/Red
