Air Jordan 3(III) “Fire Red”

AIR JORDAN III

With buzz surrounding Michael Jordan and his signature kicks, Nike looked to corporate architect-turned-footwear-designer Tinker Hatfield to head up the creation of the Air Jordan III.

Hatfield's design of the Air Jordan III was unique in several aspects: • The Air Jordan "wings" logo was no longer present — it was replaced by the newly introduced Jumpman logo on the tongue
• The cut of the shoe was a mid, which had never been seen in the basketball shoe world before
• The midsole was crafted with highly sculpted polyurethane, which introduced a fresh look
• The visible Air unit was introduced to the Air Jordan line, allowing players to literally "walk on air"

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.

Possibly the most distinct aspect of the Air Jordan III was the upgrade in materials. The upper was constructed of rich full-grain tumbled leather and was built to feel broken in — Jordan could wear a brand new pair every game without worrying about stiffness in the shoes.

Hatfield also chose to combine the tumbled leather with faux elephant skin. The elephant print was featured on the toe cap and heel of the kicks. (It also showed up on the bottom of the shoe box.)

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.