After being hinted at by Union owner Chris Gibbs, the Los Angeles streetwear pioneers are continuing to tease an Air Jordan 4 project.
The latest teaser includes an image of designer Tinker Hatfield's original Air Jordan 4 sketch from 1988, which is possibly indicative of the direction Union will head with its collaboration. Key differences between this sketch and the retail version of the Air Jordan 4 include a zebra-embossed durabuck overlay and the extension of breathable mesh across the full length of the tongue.
At this time, there's still no release details for the Union x Air Jordan 4, but it looks like the collab can be considered a lock at this point.
UPDATE (08/06): After months of speculation, Union Los Angeles has unveiled its latest collaboration with Jordan Brand.
Union's Chris Gibbs also shares the design process behind his "Off Noir" and "Guava" Air Jordan 4s stating that growing up, he would fold the tongues on his 4s, a detail which is replicated on the upcoming pairs, but the stitching can also easily be removed based on the wearer's preference.
An extra panel has also been added to the upper's overlays to allow a better balance in the upper's mesh to suede ratio. Meanwhile, the vintage-looking yellowed soles are a call back to the store's Air Jordan 1 collaboration from 2018.
Also releasing alongside the aforementioned Air Jordan 4s are the Air Jordan Delta Mid "Off Noir" and the Air Jordan Zoom '92 "Guava," all scheduled to release on Aug. 29 at Unionjordanla.com.
UPDATE (08/19): Additional details regarding Union's Air Jordan collab have surfaced. Alongside the Union-exclusive launch on Aug. 29, Jordan Brand has confirmed that the collection will see a wider launch on Sept. 30 at Nike.com/Jordan and at select retailers globally.
"Jordan is historically a sports brand, but streetwear always takes from the communities and cultures that we are inspired by, and we make it new within our culture," Gibbs said of the design. "With the IV — maybe it's the angle of my ankle — but I had a problem with the way the tongue hit my shin. When I was younger, I'd often fold it over and tie it down. I wanted to shorten the tongue. But, I am a fan of collaboration and compromise. So we decided to fold over the tongue and stitch it down, allowing for easy removal to reveal the traditional tongue."
