One of the most popular Air Jordan models ever, the Air Jordan 3 set a new standard in fashion and tech for Nike’s Michael Jordan-branded sneakers. Like the Air Jordan 2, the Air Jordan 3 was a mix of sophistication and style.To get more news about cheap air jordan shoes free shipping, you can visit nkspaces official website. nkspaces2010 ！
Once again, the sneaker didn’t feature a large Swoosh along the side. Instead, there was only the Nike Air logo on the back, along with three key new elements: the new Jumpman logo on the tongue, gray elephant hide-like print on the upper, and a visible Air unit in the heel. The shoe also came with the same hefty $100 price tag as the Air Jordan 2. This model would live up to the hype, and then some.
At Nike in 1987, however, there was trouble in paradise. Peter Moore, designer of the first two Air Jordan silhouettes, and Nike marketing VP Rob Strasser both left the company within a week of each other and started their own brand Van Grack. This made things complicated for Nike and slowed down the Air Jordan 3 production timeline. On top of that, Jordan’s initial contract with the brand was coming up for renewal.
Moore and Strasser were trying to woo Jordan away, telling him he could create his own empire with them instead of relying on Nike.Happily for Nike, a young designer by the name of Tinker Hatfield had recently entered the picture. The former University of Oregon pole vaulter and architecture major had already enjoyed a couple of early hits with the Swoosh, the Air Max 1 running shoe and the Air Trainer 1. Both featured revolutionary designs, their success helping Hatfield to land the Air Jordan 3 gig.
“It was six months behind schedule by the time it was given to me,” recalled Hatfield in the documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design. “So it had to be another hurry up, no sleep for weeks and months, traveling back and forth to Asia with all the developers and getting a prototype in.”
Hatfield genuinely wanted to hear what athletes had to say about the sneakers they were wearing, a trait he likely picked up from his former Oregon coach and Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman. Hatfield spoke to Jordan about what the Chicago Bulls star was looking for in a shoe: something with a mid-cut height instead of the super-high shoes everyone else was wearing; something comfortable that broke right in with soft, supple leather; something with flash and sophistication.But the presentation itself wasn’t so straightforward. Hatfield and Nike president and co-founder Phil Knight flew to California to present the new shoe to the player and his family. Jordan, however, was four hours late for the meeting because he was out playing golf with Strasser and Moore.
When he finally arrived, he appeared to be going through the motions. Had Jordan’s head been turned by the former Nike guys? Knight handed the meeting to Hatfield, who started asking the player if he remembered his demands from their earlier conversation. The star man started to soften as they spoke, and when Hatfield removed a shroud from the prototype model, Jordan loved it.
It was exactly what he’d been looking for. The sleek style, the mid-cut height, the soft full-grain leather, the elephant print, and — most exciting of all — his own logo on the tongue. The Jumpman had been inspired by a famous 1984 image of Jordan leaping through the air for a dunk. Its positioning front and center told Jordan that he was at the forefront of the brand. He renewed his deal with Nike.
Most sneakerheads recall Jordan first wearing the Air Jordan 3 during the 1988 NBA All-Star Game. However, he sporadically wore the “White Cement” model as early as November 1987 in several games.
Jordan sported Air Jordan 3s at All-Star Weekend in Chicago on his way to a second straight Slam Dunk Contest win with his signature foul-line dunk. He also wore the “Black Cement” pair in the actual All-Star Game. In front of 18,403 fans, Jordan dazzled his home crowd with 40 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals, and four blocks, taking the MVP gong. It was the only time all season that Jordan wore the black colorway in a game.
