Air Jordan 3 Release Dates

In 1988 the Air Jordan 3 made its debut. It was the first Jordan signature sneaker designed by the legend Tinker Hatfield. After the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 2, Michael Jordan was unhappy and prepared to leave Nike for rival adidas. With all the pressure on Hatfield, he nailed his pitch to MJ for the AJ 3, and the rest is history.

Initially released in four colorways: White Cement, Black Cement, True Blue, and Fire Red, the Air Jordan 3 was the first Air Jordan to feature the Jumpman logo, a visible Air unit in the heel, and elephant print detailing. Cemented in history (literally and figuratively), some historical moments tied to this silhouette include Michael Jordan’s Free Throw Line Dunk in the 1988 NBA Dunk Contest and the Mars Blackmon ad campaign with legendary director Spike Lee.

Since 2001, we have seen the Air Jordan 3 Retro in various OG and new colorways, which we still see today. Collaborators including A Ma Maniere, SoleFly, fragment design, DJ Khaled, atmos, Justin Timberlake, and more have all been fortunate enough to design their own exclusive AJ 3. Some of them made it to retail, while others did not. Some new colorways have even ranked up there next to the OG’s, such as the UNC, Fire Red Unite, Doernbecher, and Seoul pairs. Thirty-plus years later, and the AJ 3 is still as iconic as ever.

Initially retailing for $100, the Air Jordan 3's retail price has increased through the years and now has a sticker price of $200 for men, $150 for GS, $90 for PS, and $75 for TD. Retail also increases depending on the colorway/release, occasionally up to $275. Find all the Jordan 3's past and present on Sole Retriever today!