Air Jordan 3 was introduced in January 1988. It will always be linked to Michael Jordan's soaring dunk from the foul line, his second dunk contest triumph, and his All-Star Game MVP honors. It will also be linked to the first of his five regular-season MVP accolades.
Additionally, it succeeded in popularizing Spike Lee's Mars Blackmon and introducing a trio of instantly recognizable icons. These are the elephant print, Tinker Hatfield, and the singular Jumpman. In fact, the Jordan Brand might not even exist without the help of Hatfield's design.
Many AJ 3 sneakers are very exclusive and rare due to their construction and design. Needless to say, these unique AJ 3 sneakers that are pricier than the usual ones are also amongst sneakerheads' favorite sneakers. However, there are a few sneakers that are a little more expensive than the others, but are still loved by sneakersheads worldwide.
The Air Jordan 3 'BLACK/CEMENT' and four other most expensive Air Jordan 3 of all time
1) Air Jordan 3 'FIRE RED'
More like its predecessor, the shoe's giant Swoosh on the side was eliminated in favor of the Nike Air logo on the heel. However, the uppers' gray elephant hide-like print was one of the characteristics that really gave these shoes their iconic status.
For its time, the $100 retail price of the AJ 3 was relatively high. However, it was worth the cost and undoubtedly lived up to the hype.
The AJ 3 "Fire Red" (2022), a highly anticipated revival, also reinstates the "Nike Air," placing the logo directly atop the heel as it did in 1988. The majority of the upper is made of adjacent white leather.
At the same time, accents like the embroidered Jumpman, perforated trims, and eyelets are dressed in nearby light grays and titular red. While a reasonably faithful homage to the original, the Cement Print has been slightly altered, so some things are different.
The Air Jordan 3 "Fire Red" retails for approximately $1500 at select retail and reseller sites like Stockx.
2) Air Jordan 3 'BLACK/CEMENT'
Possibly the greatest colorway of the greatest sneaker of all time is the "Black/Cement" Air Jordan 3. When Jordan debuted the shoes for the All-Star Game in front of the home crowd in 1988, they became instantly famous.
On his way to winning MVP honors, Michael Jordan stunned the crowd by scoring 40 points, and the rest is history. The "Black/Cement" look has undergone a retro makeover five times since its 1988 debut, in 1994, 2001, 2008, 2011, and 2018.
One can better understand all the shoe's details, including the Nike Air name and logo on the heel and insole. This is despite the Grade School edition being the only one currently available for preview.
The larger perforations on the gray leather paneling around the heel and on the midfoot lace area, are one aspect that many Jordan fans have already noticed. However, there are some who are hoping that these wouldn't be there on the men's sizing.
The Air Jordan 3 "Black/Cement" can retail for $1000 or more at specific retail and reselling sites.
3) Air Jordan 3 'True Blue'
Much like the infamous "Black/Cement" look, the fourth and final original Air Jordan 3 Colourway, the "True Blue," was never worn by Michael Jordan during an NBA game.
Instead, before debuting the 2001 reissue as a Washington Wizard, Jordan donned these for an exhibition game between the Team USA squad and the 1988 NBA All-Stars. The sneakers, which got their name from their vivid blue accents, have a second elephant-printed "Cement Grey" panel to the eye stay.
The AJ 3 "True Blue" construction includes Nike Air branding, and remastered tumbled leather upper, classic cement elephant print, and touches of red throughout. This model is available at select reselling sites and retails for almost $500.
4) Air Jordan 3 'DOERNBECHER'
Through Nike's Doernbecher Freestyle collaboration with Portland's OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, patients created some of the most distinctive and sought-after footwear available. The striking red kicks, that Cole Johanson made, came with icy outsoles to go with the black and metallic silver accents. In addition, Cole's name was subtly spelled through the upper's distinctive grid pattern.
The 2010 AJ 3 is still the pinnacle of the Doernbecher crop almost a decade after its release. In fact, it was so well-liked the first time around that three years later, it was republished. The special edition Air Jordan 3 'Doernbecher' retails for $500 at select and reselling retail sites.
5) Air Jordan 3 'SEOUL'
The AJ 3 "Seoul," which was only recently released, is the most recent update to the traditional "White/Cement" look.
The kicks have been updated to have all-white tooling. They were created in the renowned Innovation Kitchen by Tinker Hatfield and Dan Sunwoo to honor the 30th anniversary of the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988. In addition, they have blue/red collars, and the Korean flag is printed on each tongue.
The highly sought-after sneakers were only available at the Jordan Hongdae store and Swoosh's Korean website store. They featured Hangul stitching on the inside of the tongues, with "Seoul" appearing on the left shoe and the 88 Games' motto, "Harmony and Progress," on the right.
The Air Jordan 3 'SEOUL' is a rare AJ 3 sneaker available for $500 at select retail sites and other retailers.
These are the top five most expensive AJ 3 sneakers for sneakerheads. However, there is good news for Jordan lovers when it comes to the new Air Jordan 3 sneakers that are releasing in 2023. The AJ 3 Reimagined "White Cement" is set to be released in March of 2023 for $95 at select retail sites.
Let us know in the comment section which one of these Air Jordan sneakers you liked the most, and have you booked the retro reimagined kick?
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