Jordan 4 RM x Nigel Sylvester

Progressive BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester has been performing his distinctive riding style for over 20 years now. It wasn’t until halfway through this stunning career that he began working with Nike, but in the time since, the two have made history by producing BMX collaborations involving some of the brand’s most iconic silhouettes, such as the Dunk, Air Jordan 1 and Air Force 1. In 2024, after a decade of cooperation, this influential partnership broke new ground once more with the Air Jordan 4 RM; the first low-profile edition of the classic Tinker Hatfield model. Two colourways were produced, both of which were inspired by the place where Sylvester learned to ride – his grandma’s driveway. To tell the story surrounding these shoes, Sylvester wrote the script for a short video in which his grandmother explains the hard work and determination he had to put in to succeed as a BMX rider. Jordan Brand went all out on commemorative details, both on the shoe itself, with elements like the Bike Air text on the heel, and on the packaging, which depicts Sylvester as a four-year-old child sitting on the tricycle that sparked his love of riding on the very driveway where he developed his skills all those years ago.

A deep tone of Fence Green fills out the entire upper of this Jordan 4 RM x Nigel Sylvester, giving it a powerful richness. This tonal potency is enhanced by the velvety suede material used across the upper. Wrapping around this plush panelling is a Fence Green TPU cage that is based on a bicycle frame as an homage to Sylvester’s BMX career. Just like it does on a bike, this plastic structure provides support, while also giving the Jordan 4 RM its own unique appearance. Underfoot, flashes of bright red punctuate the black outsole, and the iconic visible Air window can be found in the Sail-coloured strip of polyurethane encircling the heel. Back on the upper, a distinctive Bike Air logo lands on the heel in Metallic Platinum, with a line of text in the same tone on the tongue that reads “Bike Air By Jordan”. This new take on the usual AJ4 branding coincides with more familiar adornments, such as a mini swoosh embroidered into the forefoot in Metallic Platinum thread and a tiny Jumpman logo subtly stamped into the heel. Many of these logos have been made into stickers for the set that accompanies the shoe. Others include the emblem for Sylvester’s popular series of lifestyle videos, Go, and a bicycle wheel with the words “Jordan Biking Company 2017” on it. Inside the shoe, the black insoles display mismatched lettering that celebrates both Air Jordan and Nigel Sylvester. The biking theme of this classy sneaker culminates in the bicycle graphic embossed secretively onto the underside of the heel tab, thus rounding out this captivating collaboration in style.