Air Jordan III (AJ3)

The Air Jordan 3 has established itself as a fan favorite atop the original Air Jordans list.



It is the first shoe by Tinker Hatfield. Tinker, known for his work on the Air Max line, is credited with helping keep Jordan at Nike.

Perhaps the Air Jordan 3 is known for introducing the Mars Blackmon commercials with Spike Lee. Lee’s character, Blackmon, was first seen in “She’s Gotta Have It” as a basketball fan obsessed with Air Jordan sneakers. The unique, somewhat repetitive Blackmon character helped create a series of iconic Air Jordan commercials still revered today.

The shoes themselves also carried a new revered icon - the Jumpman logo. They featured this logo prominently on the tongue. The Air Jordan 3 contained Nike’s trademark air in the shoe while sporting a unique elephant print, completing the shoe's new look.

We have seen Jordan wearing all the original Air Jordan 3 shoes. Jordan wore a new True Blue version featuring copper coloring on the tongue and on the sides with the Wizards. Interestingly Jordan never wore the True Blue colorway prior in an NBA setting. The Air Jordan 3 debuted in February of 1988. Jordan wore the Air Jordan 2 and the Nike Air Alpha Force before introducing the Air Jordan 3 on the court.
The four original colorways are as follows:

• Air Jordan 3 White/Cement Grey
• Air Jordan 3 Black/Cement Grey
• Air Jordan 3 White/Fire Red
• Air Jordan 3 White/Cement Grey-True Blue