As the UNDEFEATED x Air Jordan 4 is set to return on August 2nd, a new early sample that might have been the inspiration for Eminem’s famed “Encore” Air Jordan 4 has resurfaced.
One of the earliest samples in a rare faded blue with grey, white, and red hits on the upper in a cleaner and less military-inspired colorway compared to the olive version that everyone knows and loves was originally made early on in UNDEFEATED’s development process. In a recent interview with Complex, UNDEFEATED co-founder James Bond and creative director Chris Gibbs opened up about the sample’s inspiration and story. According to them, the early direction for the Air Jordan 4 sample was inspired by a different kind of OG: the Blackberry phone. They wanted to incorporate the early-2000’s cool-tech color blocking in their color scheme.
Eminem has long been rumored to have heard about the look see sample during a trip to Nike HQ and fell in love with the colorway which led to an agreement in the end. Just two months after the creation of this sample, Eminem released his now-iconic “Encore” Air Jordan 4 in a nearly identical color scheme.
This “Look See Sample” resurfaced recently by @mc1snkrs and has all the markings and factory spec tags to prove it’s authenticity. While this version may never see the light of day, it’s influence on Eminem’s “Encore” Air Jordan 4’s legacy is clear.
The UNDEFEATED Jordan 4 raffle ends July 30th at 11AM ET.
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