Air Jordan 3

The Air Jordan 3 is Michael Jordan’s third signature basketball shoe and remains one of the most sought-after sneakers to date. They were the first pair of Jordan sneakers that legendary designer Tinker Hatfield created, and they made their official debut in the year 1988. In terms of its design, they served as the first Air Jordan model to utilize visible Air units, Jumpman logos, as well as the recognizable elephant print. The original sketches of these kicks featured a Swoosh logo placed on the midfoot, and those were brought to life through multiple renditions for the silhouette’s 30th anniversary year in 2018.

A couple of key moments of the Air Jordan 3 include that of its presence in the famous “Mike and Mars” campaign — one of Nike’s most successful advertisements, as well as in the iconic 1988 Slam Dunk contest where MJ executed his iconic from-the-free-throw-line dunk. Additionally, they were also the very sneakers Jordan rocked throughout the 1997-1988 season where he would go on to win his first-ever MVP award.

Although the silhouette has been released in a myriad of different colorways over the years, its’ most popular versions to this day still continue to be its original makeups. These include the “Black Cement“, “White Cement”, “Fire Red”, and “True Blue”.

The model has also been delivered through collaborations that include projects with Vogue, and Justin Timberlake, as well as in player-exclusive form with the University of Oregon. Moreover, it’s also seen through to limited edition makeups such as its “Seoul” colorway that debuted in March 2018.

The AJ3 is very much in the spotlight for 2025, already kicking off a much-discussed stack release calendar with the “Black Cat” and “Lucky Shorts” colorways. Looking ahead, the Maniere Jordan 3 and “Seoul 2.0” loom as two of the biggest headlines in the middle third of the year. Further down the road, editions like the Jordan 3 “Pure Money” and “Rare Air” present as high-heat releases for the stretch run.

Read the articles below for our latest on everything relating to the Air Jordan 3, including colorways and release details.