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Air Jordan 3 was inducted into the Jordan catalog back in 1988. The set of four OG colorways: “White Cement,” “Black Cement,” Fire Red,” and “True Blue” were the first releases of Tinker Hatfield’s design. These were the glorious years of Michael Jordan’s walk of life, which majorly contributed towards the immense popularity of these new designs.
Both his fans and sneaker aficionados loved the distinctive designs and elephant textures of the AJ3 shoes. This gave a boost to the upcoming iterations of this design. It brought a slew of fresh colorways time and again.
The story of Air Jordan 3 design genesis and inspiration, as mentioned on the official Jordan website, reads,
“With MJ's second slam dunk contest win, this time wearing AJ I White Cements AUN came an inspiring and memorable image of flight. And with it, another icon is born the Jumpman. Here, and with the help of his MVP nomination and a certain Mars Blackmon, Michael Jordan and his sleek PO footwear are shuttled to fame.”
Continued as,
“What is now one of the sneaker world's most notable silhouettes was brought to life with an architect's keen eye. Tinker Hatfield, the auspicious name behind much of the Air Jordan franchise, was the visionary behind this classic. At the request of MJ, Hatfield developed the now iconic elephant print.”
This year itself, we have recorded various new styles and updates given to the silhouette, including “Cardinal Red” and “Dark Mocha.” As the Jordan Brand is prepping for the release of its much awaited “Desert Elephant” and retro “Fire Red” iterations, let us take a look at some of the noteworthy Air Jordan 3 releases from previous years.
Five most hyped Air Jordan 3 releases that enthralled the sneaker world time and again
1) Air Jordan 3 Muslin
The Jordan Brand gave a “Muslin” makeover to its third silhouette earlier this year. This Air Jordan 3 “Muslin” sneakers were released on March 25, 2022. Each pair of these footwear pieces was priced at $200.
Nike’s official website described the AJ3 Muslin colorway as,
“Throughout MJ's dynasty run, fans and teammates counted on his durability. His six championships, delivered in heroic fashion, were epitomized by toughness, strength, and physical fortitude. Bringing that same attitude to a beloved retro, the Air Jordan 3 "Muslin" uses a heavy-duty canvas upper and strong Cement Grey suede to welcome everyday challenges with rugged style. Its Sail midsole finishes the vintage-inspired makeup, while University Red accents shout-out Air Jordan heritage.”
The regular leather uppers of these new Air Jordan 3 were replaced with neutral Muslin toned canvases. The tints of University Red, Cement Gray, and Sail were also employed to make these footwear pieces, alongside namesake Muslin.
Besides skipping the leathers, these designs showed deviations from the OG AJ3 esthetics in the elephant patterns around the toe tops and heel counters. They were highlighted with a sleek Cement Gray nubuck for this iteration. University Red, Sail, and gray toned eyelets were then placed alternately on top. These eyelets, which were placed right next to the Muslin tongues, held neutral hued laces.
This Air Jordan 3 design was accomplished with the brilliant red Jumpman branding added to the tongue flaps and heel tabs. Finalizing the look were the neutral midsoles united with a gray rubber outsole.
2) Air Jordan 3 Chlorophyll
In 2018, Michael Jordan’s footwear label unveiled an innovative crossover of Nike Air Trainer 1 and Air Jordan 3 sneaker designs. This resulted in the “Chlorophyll” variant of the third silhouette. These shoes were released on November 10, 2018. Labeled with a price tag of $190, these quirky Air Jordans left the sneaker community pleasantly surprised.
The product description of this sneaker on the brand’s web page reads,
“The Air Trainer I and Air Jordan III are two silhouettes that revolutionized Nike footwear design. The Air Trainer I introduced the idea of cross-training footwear, while the Air Jordan III brought visible Nike Air cushioning to MJ's feet. Now nearly three decades later, both icons come together to create a new Air Jordan III featuring the Air Trainer I's original "Chlorophyll" colorway.”
As mentioned earlier, this take on the shoe was clearly influenced by the Nike Air Trainer 1 sneaker design. This “Chlorophyll” footwear featured a stylish and modern blend of Light Smoke Gray, Chlorophyll, Black, White, and Sail colors.
Unlike many other Air Jordan 3 shoes, the uppers of these pairs were constructed using high-quality nubuck. The sleek light gray nubuck covered most of the uppers. The elephant accents, that are usually made with two shades, were completely black in this take.
Furthermore, the hang tags and eyelets, as well as the linings below the tongue flaps, were incorporated with the glowing chlorophyll inlays. Ultimately, the white midsoles glued to the gray outer sole units rounded out the shoe.
3) Air Jordan 3 Knick Rivals
The Air Jordan 3 “Knick Rivals” edition was dropped on September 14, 2019. Loaded with vivid shades, these $190 shoes were delivered by Nike's e-commerce stores and other retail outlets.
The New York Knicks, one of MJ's opponents in the 1990s, served as the inspiration for this variant of Air Jordan 3. It was constructed using the recognizable color palette of the New York Knicks, which boasts White, Old Royal, University Orange, and Tech Gray hues.
The predominantly white uppers were molded with tumbled premium leathers. The details over the uppers were juxtaposed with Royal Blue and Orange elements. These vibrant details conveyed the perfect Knicks vibe. AJ3’s customary elephant-esque textured patterns were placed on the toe caps, heel counters, and eyelets.
These pairs were a nod to one of Michael Jordan’s most popular matches in which he played despite having a stomach virus and netted 47 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a victory over the New York Knicks. This match is remembered as “The Illness Game.” The date of the game, etched on the rear side of the tongue flaps, completed the esthetics of these sneakers.
4) Air Jordan 3 Blue Cement
These sneakers are probably one of the most popular AJ3s that belong to the “Cement” catalog. Therefore, this “Blue Cement” iteration gained a lot of attention from Jordan fans and sneaker geeks alike. The Air Jordan 3 “Blue Cement” shoes were made public on October 10, 2020. Priced at $190, these trendy footwear pieces were sold online via Nike's online stores and other partnering sellers.
This Blue Cement rendition was fashioned with Varsity Royal, Cement Gray, black, and white color schemes. The eponymous Varsity Royal color made up the majority of the uppers. The superior tumbled leathers were accented with customary elephant-prints around the toe boxes as well as the heel counters.
Touches of black were used all over the sneaker design to add more details to them. Hits of black were clearly used on the lace locks, midsoles, and heel tabs. The tongues were in Cement Gray hue, which was adorned with Jumpman logos in a royal blue shade.
Alongside blue, full-length white midsoles were employed for the base of these units. The white midsoles were united with gray outsoles to finalize the look.
5) Air Jordan 3 Court Purple
Wrapping up the list are these Air Jordan 3 “Court Purple” shoes that were released on the sneaker market on November 21, 2020. Like other Court Purple Air Jordans, these shoes also received an overwhelming response from the sneakerheads. Each pair was priced at $190, and they were sold via Nike's online stores and other authorized sellers.
The description of this shoe on the brand’s website says,
“The colour of royalty is back, only this time it's appearing next to Jordan's famous elephant print for a fresh expression of the AJ3. Unlike other Court Purple releases from Jordan, this version includes a secondary orange colourway, subtly backing up logos on the tongue and heel tab. Tumbled black leather in the upper and a Cement Grey outsole complete the look and allow the brighter elements to shine through.”
Fashioned with premium leathers, the uppers of these shoes sported a variety of hues including namesake Court Purple, Black, Gray, and white. Most of the uppers were painted black, but the hits of purple on the tongues, midsoles, eyelets, and heel counters made them more appealing.
The toe tops, tongue flaps, and lace fasteners were covered in black. The toe boxes were lined with the signature elephant-prints in black and gray. Additionally, these prints were also prominent around the heel counters. The black tongues were then embroidered with purple Jumpman logos.
Finally, the shoes were rounded out with white midsoles with Air units towards the heels and gray outer sole units.
