The Air Jordan 3 hit the streets in 1988. To follow up an incredible year the year before, a great pair of Jordan shoes was needed and fulfilled.

Hatfield takes command

The Air Jordan 3 was the first of 14 Air Jordans designed by Tinker Hatfield. The Air Jordan 3 also carried more of Jordan’s name on the shoe since the man himself was an active part of the design of the shoe. The shoe was the perfect example of Tinker’s skill to blend fashion with function.

A first of many

The Air Jordan 3 broke ground for many different aspects of the Nike Air Jordan shoe line. First, the Air Jordan 3 featured the “Jumpman” on the tongue of the shoe. This silhouette of Jordan was to celebrate and commemorate his Slam Dunk Contest victory the year before. Every Jordan after the Air Jordan 3 features this Jumpman as a focal point of the shoe as well as became the new logo for the Air Jordan line. The Air Jordan 3 was also the first to feature a visible air unit. Lastly, the Air Jordan 3 featured elephant print on the upper. Though this material was only used again on 1 other model, it set a standard that the Jordan shoes are as much fashionable as functional. The Air Jordan 3 also is one of the most famous shoes in the Air Jordan lineup. On many polls, the Air Jordan 3 finishes as the greatest sneaker of all time.

Marketing Monster

Nike created a personality ad campaign featuring the Mars Blackmon character who was created and played by famous director and actor Spike Lee. This campaign followed Air Jordan for a couple of years and is definitely one of the most appreciated Nike commercial series through all time.

Retro blues and Retro boom

Surprisingly enough, the first time the Air Jordan 3 was retroed in 1994, the shoe had limited success. When the Air Jordan 3 was sold again as a re-retro in 2001, it was a different story. The shoe was released in 4 re-retro colorways including 3 of the original 4 colorways except featuring a Jumpman on the back of the shoe instead of the famous “Nike Air” symbol. The Air Jordan 3 set the standard for all Jordan shoes to follow and is the biggest reason for success of the entire line. If you are interested in getting a new pair of Air Jordan 3s, visit the Jordan release dates page to stay current on retro Air Jordan releases.