Jordan 3

There's the famous story of Michael Jordan almost signing with another brand, and then there's this one—where MJ almost ended his partnership with Nike. Jordan's original five-year deal with Nike yielded $500,000 per year, plus royalties, for a total estimated value of $7M. An early career injury in the Air Jordan 1—a broken foot—caused him to miss much of the '85-86 season and lose trust in Nike's ability to fulfill their promises. Jordan was looking for an out.

The meeting to present the new Air Jordan 3 was a make-or-break situation for the Nike x Jordan deal.

Tinker Hatfield played a significant role in keeping Michael on board, continually advocating for and protecting MJ's input in the design process. At a crucial meeting—the unveiling of the new Air Jordan 3 design—the Nike team reportedly waited four hours for Jordan to show up. It turns out he'd been on the golf course with new prospective partners. When MJ finally arrived, Hatfield knocked his socks off with the Air Jordan 3 prototype and an apparel line. And though it was Hatfield who saved the deal, Jordan's parents also influenced his decision, reportedly telling him that his actions were "embarrassing," recalling the influence they had on their son when he signed with the brand in the first place.

The Air Jordan 3 officially released in 1988 in four original colorways, each retailing for $100:

True Blue didn't see official court time until Michael re-entered the league in 2001 with the Washington Wizards, wearing retros.

Perhaps the most criticized aspect of the Air Jordan 3 is whether or not it has the original Nike Air stamp on the back heel. Of the four original colorways, only three featured the stamp, with the Jumpman logo replacing it on the True Blue.

Following Jordan's first retirement in 1993, Nike began to retro the Air Jordan I, II and III. Since 1988, the Air Jordan 3 has returned in many iterations, with the most popular being the OG colors White Cement and Black Cement.

White Cement has retroed five times: in 1994, 2003, 2011, 2013 and 2018. Of these retros, the 2013 pair was the first to reintroduce "Nike Air" on the back. The 2018 version commemorated the 1988 All-Star Dunk Contest, with a clear sole and red stripe across the forefoot where MJ would have stood on the free-throw line—hence the nickname, "Free Throw Line."

Black Cement, a fan favorite, also retroed five times: in 1994, 2001, 2008, 2011 and 2018. The 2008 release was part of the Countdown Pack (CDP), which was paired with a Jordan 20. These packs typically combine pairs to equal the number 23. The 2018 retro was the first to use "Nike Air" since 2001 and was the closest iteration to the original design.

The first series of retros in 1994 didn't perform well and quickly found themselves in the sales racks. A string of retros in 2001 proved to be stronger, introducing a new Air Jordan 3 colorway—the white and brown Mocha. This paved the way for future colorways, such as Pure Money, Black Cat and Do the Right Thing from 2007.