In 1987 Nike faced a challenging situation of which the outcome would shape the companies future forever.

Not only did Michael Jordan’s initial contract come to an end, additionally both Peter Moore, designer of the first two Air Jordan models, and marketing VP Rob Strasser were leaving the company and while doing so tried to convince Jordan to join them.

 

Luckily Nike’s saviour was ready to take on the challenge. Tinker Hatfield, designer of the Air Max 1and Air Trainer 1, realised the best way to overcome this issue was to ask Jordan directly what he would want in a shoe. The results were a mid-cut silhouette with soft leather and debuts of the now iconic elephant print and Jordan’s very own Jumpman logo referencing the famous picture of his 1984 dunk.

And with that history was made. Jordan loved the shoe, signing his renewed contract with Nike and cementing his legacy as the brands face for years to come.

 

 

All four OG colorways of the Air Jordan 3 (white cement, black cement, fire red, true blue) are now highly coveted favourites of the sneaker community, their immediate popularity helped by Jordan’s stellar performances wearing the shoes during his MVP All Star game and successful commercials starring a young Spike Lee.