The shoe that carries Michael Jordan’s name is paying tribute today to the franchise he spent his career defeating.
The Air Jordan 4 Imperial Purple, widely referred to as the Lakers colorway, is available now in full family sizing at Nike SNKRS, Foot Locker, Champs Sports, SNIPES, DTLR, and other select retailers. Pricing runs $220 for adults, $165 for grade schoolers, $105 for preschoolers, and $90 for toddlers.
The Lakers dynasty that made Jordan’s rise mean something
To understand why this colorway carries weight, it helps to understand what the Showtime Lakers represented before Jordan arrived.
When Magic Johnson went first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft and Jerry Buss took ownership of the franchise, the Lakers became something beyond a basketball team. Buss wanted every home game to feel like an event. With Magic running the offense and Pat Riley taking over as head coach in 1981, the Lakers delivered exactly that. They won four championships throughout the 1980s, including back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, beating the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics, and the Detroit Pistons along the way.
By the time Jordan reached his first NBA Finals in 1991, he had already collected regular season MVP honors and a Defensive Player of the Year award. What he had not done was win a championship. After losing Game 1 to the Lakers, the Bulls won four straight to claim the title. Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds in that series and won his first Finals MVP. The Showtime era ended almost immediately after. It would take the Lakers nearly a decade to return to the Finals.
What the Imperial Purple colorway is actually honoring
The Air Jordan 4 Imperial Purple does not try to recreate something Jordan wore on the court. He was already in the Air Jordan 6 by the time the 1991 Finals took place and never competed in purple and gold. The colorway functions instead as a broader tribute to an era, and to a relationship that developed long after the rivalry was over.
Jordan and Kobe Bryant built a bond that began as mentorship and grew into genuine friendship over the years. Some of the most celebrated Jordan player exclusives ever produced came out of that connection. The Imperial Purple colorway quietly honors that chapter of the Jordan story alongside the competitive history it evokes.
The design itself holds up on its own terms. The deep Imperial Purple nubuck upper gives the silhouette more texture than standard leather. University Gold appears at the outsole, the insoles, and the tongue branding. Nike Air branding on the heel features a speckled finish that reads as intentionally worn in. Black and grey accents across the netting and eyestays keep the palette grounded without pulling attention away from the purple and gold.
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Resale numbers and how to buy today
The shoe was drawing significant secondary market attention before today’s release, with average resale prices on StockX tracking around $293 and some pairs listed above $300. How those numbers move depends on how many pairs reach the market through today’s drop.
Some retailers are running standard first-come purchases. Others are using EQL raffles, which require advance registration. Nike SNKRS is conducting its own draw. Shoppers who miss today’s window can look to StockX or GOAT, though premiums above retail could climb depending on demand.
The Air Jordan 4 originally debuted in 1989. Tinker Hatfield designed it, and it has been released in more colorways than most collectors can track. The Imperial Purple version is among the strongest of the recent run, built on a silhouette with staying power and a story worth knowing.
