The Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey (2019) is set to officially drop tomorrow, August 1st, but it’s already reselling in significant numbers on StockX. The release is the latest in a string of retros celebrating the 30th anniversary of the classic Jordan 4 silhouette. Back in May, buyers celebrated this auspicious birthday with a much-hyped release of the Jordan 4 Bred. That colorway has already sold over 30 thousand pairs on StockX in its first three months on the market, making it one of the most popular Jordans – and most popular sneakers overall – to ever resell on our platform.
It remains to be seen if the Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey will have this same impact on the market; buyers haven’t seen a Cool Grey 4 retro since 2004, so there’s a lot of pent-up demand. And we’ve already seen nearly one thousand pairs of the 2019 resell thus far- a significant number, given they haven’t officially hit the market yet.
The Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey marks the latest installment in the Cool Grey lineage, building the legacy of one of the most popular colorways in Beaverton’s arsenal, right up there with Black Cement and Chicago in terms of past iconic styles. Looking back at some of the most popular Cool Grey colorways of years past, we see a fair amount of variation in prices. Consider the following chart, which shows current Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey prices (shown in green) measured against previous releases of the colorway:
In the above chart, the sneakers are arrayed vertically according to when they were first released. At the very top, we have the Cool Grey Jordan 11 from 2001, which has averaged $375 on the resale market over the last 12 months. At the bottom, we have the Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey, which is currently reselling for $232 on the eve of it’s official release.
Not surprisingly, the older Cool Grey colorways (those towards the top of the chart) tend to flip for more than the newer models. In addition to that 2001 Jordan 11, the Jordan 4 (2004), Jordan 3 (2007), and Jordan 11 (2010) are all reselling for more than $300, with the 2010 Jordan 11 leading the pack with an average resale value of $395. The newer models, by contrast, are flipping for an average price of $219, with the Jordan 1 Rare Air Cool Grey (2017) fetching the lowest price of $155.
Despite this variation, every single one of the iconic Cool Grey colorways shown, including that 2017 Jordan 1, are selling for more than their original retail prices- and in some cases, far more. This should provide considerable comfort for resellers and collectors eyeing tomorrow’s Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey.
Another interesting data point to consider is the recent price behavior of the 2004 Jordan 4 Cool Grey, shown in the second position in the chart above. As previously mentioned, that 2004 release marks the last time the Jordan 4 silhouette was retro’d in the iconic Cool Grey. Over the last 12 months, resale value for this 15-year-old Jordan 4 has been strong: an average resale price of $356, or more than three times its original $100 retail price tag.
But over the last few weeks, prices for the Jordan 4 Cool Grey have collapsed. The reason? Almost certainly, it’s the imminent release a new Cool Grey Jordan 4- the one that drops tomorrow. As recently as June 7th, the 2004 colorway was flipping for $365. But since then, it’s shed more than $100 in resale value, and is now selling for just $260.
How will prices for the Air Jordan 4 Cool Grey respond after their official release, when supply fully hits the market? The past performance of other Cool Grey Jordan silhouettes suggests resale value should remain strong. But the collapse in resale value for the 2004 Jordan 4 does offer a note of caution. Should supply outpace market demand, we can expect the 2019 version to take a similar hit.
