Speaking of things you can’t go wrong with: Black and red, the signature Air Jordan colorway, has rarely looked better than it does on the Air Jordan 4. Doesn’t hurt that this was the iteration of the shoe that Michael Jordan wore when he hit The Shot over the Cavaliers in the 1989 playoffs. A legendary moment worthy of a truly legendary sneaker.

2. Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 (2005)

It’s not every day that a single shoe changes the sneaker world forever. The Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 very much did. As the first-ever Air Jordan collaboration with a sneaker boutique, the LA institution kicked the door down for the wide-ranging universe of major partnerships we know today—and they did it in epic style, decking the silhouette out in a lush olive suede with orange accents inspired by the classic MA-1 bomber jacket. Only 72 pairs of the collab were produced in 2005, turning it into one of the rarest and most sought-after shoes in the world. Twenty years later, Undefeated finally saw fit to bring it back—albeit with a few minor details swapped to protect the allure of the original—and it remains beyond beloved among sneakerheads of every age.

1. Air Jordan 4 ‘White Cement’ (1989)

I mean, just look at it. It’s perfect. The speckled gray accents. The clean white leather and netting. The sharp black details. There’s a reason Spike Lee chose this version of the shoe to make the centerpiece of Do the Right Thing’s most memorable scene: Of course you’d be heated if someone scuffed up your brand new White Cements. The most coveted of the original core-four Air Jordan 4 colorways is also simply the best Air Jordan 4 ever created—and one of the most important sneakers of all time, period.