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Air Jordan 4 Military Black: Price Comparison & Finding the Best Deals
The Air Jordan 4 Retro ‘Military Black’ showcases the same color blocking and materials featured on the OG ‘Military Blue’ colorway from 1989. Crafted from smooth white leather, the upper is contrasted by a grey suede forefoot overlay, while black accents make their way to the TPU eyelets, molded heel tab, and the Jumpman logo displayed on the woven tongue tag. Finding the best deal on sought-after sneakers like the Air Jordan 4 Military Black can save you a significant amount of money, as prices can vary wildly depending on the retailer, condition, and market demand.
Retailer Comparison
The Air Jordan 4 “Military Black” originally retailed for around $200-$210 USD upon its release in May 2022. Like most highly anticipated Jordan releases, these sneakers sold out very quickly at standard retail stores such as Nike, Foot Locker, Finish Line, and other authorized boutiques.
Currently, you are unlikely to find the Air Jordan 4 “Military Black” available at its original retail price from these primary retailers. Your best bet for purchasing this sneaker now is through the resale market, which we will explore next.
Resale Market Analysis
The resale market is where most transactions for the Air Jordan 4 “Military Black” now occur. Prices here are dictated by supply and demand and can fluctuate significantly.
Key Resale Platforms:
- StockX: Prices typically range from $350 to $500+ depending on size and current market bids. The platform authenticates sneakers before shipping to the buyer.
- GOAT: You’ll find new and used pairs here, with prices often similar to StockX, perhaps slightly higher for verified new pairs, ranging from $380 to $550+. GOAT also offers an authentication service.
- eBay: A wider range of prices can be found on eBay, but it’s crucial to buy from reputable sellers with high ratings and look for eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee. Prices can vary from $300 (for used or less popular sizes) up to $600+.
Factors Affecting Resale Prices:
- Size: More common or popular sizes (e.g., US 8-11) often command higher prices due to greater demand.
- Condition: Deadstock (DS) or brand new, unworn pairs with the original box will always be more expensive than used pairs.
- Authenticity: Verified authentic pairs from reputable platforms or sellers naturally cost more.
- Market Hype: While the initial release hype has subsided, the “Military Black” remains a very popular and clean colorway, keeping demand relatively high.
- Seller Reputation: Established resellers with strong track records might price slightly higher.
Tips for Finding Deals
Finding a “deal” on a hyped sneaker like this often means paying a fair resale price rather than an overly inflated one. Here are some tips:
- Be Patient: Sneaker prices can fluctuate. Monitor prices over a few weeks if you’re not in a rush.
- Compare Across Platforms: Don’t just look at one site. Check StockX, GOAT, and eBay to get a sense of the current market rate.
- Consider Used Condition: If you’re okay with a gently used pair (VNDS – Very Near Deadstock, or lightly worn), you can often save a significant amount. Ensure you see detailed photos.
- Look for Bids on StockX: Instead of buying at the lowest “Ask,” you can place a “Bid” and wait for a seller to accept your offer.
- Check Local Sneaker Groups/Consignment Shops: Sometimes you can find better deals locally, avoiding shipping and platform fees, but authenticity checks become even more crucial.
- Beware of “Too Good To Be True”: If a price seems way below the market average, it’s highly likely a scam or a fake product.
- Factor in Fees: Remember that platforms like StockX and GOAT add processing fees and shipping costs, so the listed price isn’t the final price.
Authenticity Guide: Spotting Fakes
With high resale values come counterfeit sneakers. Here are some key areas to inspect on an Air Jordan 4 “Military Black”:
- Overall Shape and Proportions: Authentic AJ4s have a distinct silhouette. Fakes often have a bulky toe box, incorrect heel shape, or an overall “off” look. Compare with official Nike images or known genuine pairs.
- Stitching Quality: Genuine pairs have neat, consistent, and tight stitching. Look for sloppy, uneven, or frayed stitching on fakes.
- Material Quality: The white leather should feel premium and smooth. The grey suede on the toe cap should have a quality texture. Fakes often use cheaper, stiffer materials.
- Jumpman Logo: Check the Jumpman on the tongue tag and heel. On fakes, the proportions can be wrong (e.g., “lollipop” head, overly thick arm or leg, the “butt crack” flaw on older fakes is less common but check overall neatness).
- Netting: The plastic netting on the side panels and lower tongue should be pliable and correctly angled. On fakes, it can be stiff or incorrectly shaped.
- Tongue Tag: Examine the “Flight” script and the Air Jordan lettering. Fonts should be crisp and correctly spaced. The stitching around the tag should be clean.
- Heel Tab: The Nike Air branding or Jumpman on the heel tab should be well-defined. The tab itself should be made of quality rubber/TPU.
- Box and Label: The box should be sturdy, with correct colors and branding. The label on the box should have the correct SKU (DH6927-111), size, colorway name (White/Black-Neutral Grey), and barcode. Compare the font and layout to official Nike box labels.
- Smell: Replicas often have a strong chemical or glue smell due to cheaper adhesives.
- Buy from Reputable Sources: The best way to avoid fakes is to buy from trusted platforms with authentication services (StockX, GOAT) or highly reputable individual resellers.
Conclusion
Getting the Air Jordan 4 Military Black shoes can be tricky because the price changes a lot. You should look at different online stores like StockX, GOAT, or eBay to see who has the best price. It’s super important to make sure the shoes are real and not fakes by checking things like the stitching and the Jumpman logo. If you do your homework and are careful, you can find these cool shoes at a good price and know you got the real deal for your collection.
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