{"id":269201,"date":"2013-02-05T18:15:06","date_gmt":"2013-02-06T00:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nicekicks.com\/?p=269201"},"modified":"2020-09-18T10:41:12","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T14:41:12","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-air-jordan-3-retro-88","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/everything-you-need-to-know-air-jordan-3-retro-88\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know: Air Jordan 3 Retro ’88"},"content":{"rendered":"

To the delight of some and the dismay of others, the Air Jordan 3<\/strong> is retroing tomorrow with Nike Air on the heel. Limited in numbers but abundant in history, we take a look back at previous White\/Cement AJ3 releases while looking forward to tomorrow?s launch. Get the basics on this classic in Everything You Need to Know<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Release History<\/h2>\n

1988<\/strong><\/p>\n image via Sole Collector<\/a>\n

The Air Jordan 3 originally released in 1988, with the White\/Cement colorway leading the pack. Aside from awesome endorsement from Michael Jordan, this shoe served as the first Air Jordan design by Tinker Hatfield. Visible Air, elephant print, and the Jumpman logo were all debuted on this model. While the Jordan silo stamped the tongue, Nike Air resided on the heel.<\/p>\n

1994<\/strong><\/p>\n image via Sneaker Files<\/a>\n

Following Jordan’s surprise retirement and coinciding with ten years of Nikes, the Air Jordan 3 White\/Cement released in 1994 as the first Jordan retro ever. The shoes came in a special edition box and featured the first retro card. Because Jordan Brand was yet to form, this makeup also featured Nike Air on the heel. Despite recent retro popularity, sales were slow in the early years of AJ re-releases.<\/p>\n

2003<\/strong><\/p>\n image via Sneaker Files<\/a>\n

The Air Jordan 3 White\/Cement released for the third time in April 19th of 2003. Though the shoe had a US release date, one had to be in the know with a shoe store or an avid reader of Nike Talk to be up on this product launch. Featuring the Jumpman on the heel for the first time and feeding a growing retro appetite, the shoes sold much better than the ’94 edition.<\/p>\n

2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2011, the Air Jordan 3 White\/Cement launched for the fourth time, seeing the second edition with Jumpman heel branding. Though popular, a January release date after a heavy holiday season saw somewhat slow sales.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Cultural Significance<\/h2>\n image via SI Vault\n

The Air Jordan 3 White\/Cement came to fame during the 1987-88 season, one of MJ?s most memorable campaigns. Mike took off from just inside the free throw line in this colorway, taking home the ?88 Slam Dunk Title in front of a hometown Chicago crowd. Spike Lee served as a spokesman for this sneaker, bringing the Mars Blackmon character to the small screen.<\/p>\n