ARCHIVISTS: Release of the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 Retro

“At that point, there was no such thing as a Jordan collaboration. You know what I mean. There was no such thing as a Nike collaboration in general,” says hip-hop producer and DJ Just Blaze [the owner of three pairs] when talking about the sneaker that officially bridged Jordan Brand with a sneaker and streetwear boutique—the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4.

In 2002, Eddie Cruz and James Bond opened Undefeated’s doors in hopes of stocking rare sneakers sourced from around the world for the LA sneaker community, a void with a budding demand. “Undefeated was kind of started out of a necessity in Los Angeles,” says Bond. Since then, Undefeated has expanded on a global scale, with three stores in China and 19 stores in Japan. Along the way, the Play Dirty [a slogan used frequently by the brand] crew has collaborated with world-renowned artists and brands such as Mister Cartoon, A Bathing Ape and Nike. With over 150 sneaker collaborations, their most sought-after collaboration was with a brand that had never partnered with anyone prior—Jordan Brand.