This is the sneaker that saved Jordan Brand.
There may be more preferred models in Mike’s signature line, but there is none more important to its success than the Air Jordan 3. Though it may not have all been Nike’s fault, they and Michael Jordan were at a crossroads at the end of the 1987 season. His Nike contract was up, he’d just suffered a freak injury run, and received a lackluster sophomore design. A young Michael Jordan was weighing up his options on whether to continue with the Checks or to make a move to his beloved adidas. Enter Tinker Hartfield.
Nike needed a hero to keep them in the Michael Jordan business. It came from, unknowingly at the time, a legend-in-the-making; Tinker Hatfield, a 35-year-old sneaker designer who hadn’t yet worked on Nike’s biggest lines, delivered an approach that was deviously simple: ask Michael exactly what type of sneaker he’d most like to wear.
Of course, these requests were almost always against Nike’s idea of a market-friendly footwear design, But Tinker delivered on every aspect. Not only did Hatfield dish up a lightweight, mid-cut sneaker complete with visible Air Units and a wild Elephant print overlay, but he also created the Air Jordan Brand identity. During his research, Hatfield noticed an image in the Jordan product research files — a striking shot of Michael dunking with his legs dramatically stretched out. Tinker turned it to a silhouette and put it on the shoe without even consulting his bosses — and the rest is history.
It debuted in 1988 in four colorways and made its first retro return in 1994 during Michael’s first retirement. 2001 was the first year that the silhouette saw non-original colorways, as well as the replacement of Nike Air heel branding for Jumpman, a move that is still debated to this day. It’s played parts in big celebrations, including Black History Month, Anniversaries, and Doernbecher collections, and has more recently seen a move into the collaborative space with efforts from atmos, Vogue, A Ma Maniere, and Fragment — but none more impactful than the sneaker's initial campaign with Spike Lee's Mars Blackmon.
Note: This Guide to Air Jordan 3 Colorways is inclusive only of those that saw a retail release (no PE’s, charity exclusives, etc).
So without further adieu, here is the complete list of Air Jordan 3 releases in history:
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement”
Release Date: 1988
Style Code: 4365
Color: White/Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
Release Date: 1988
Style Code: 4366
Color: Black/Cement Grey-White
Air Jordan 3 “Fire Red”
Release Date: 1988
Style Code: 4367
Color: White/Fire Red
Air Jordan 3 “True Blue”
Release Date: 1988
Style Code: 4368
Color: White/Cement Grey-True Blue
Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
Release Date: 1994
Style Code: 130203-001
Color: Black/Cement Grey-White
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement”
Release Date: 1994
Style Code: 130203-101
Color: White/Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
Release Date: 07/14/2001
Style Code: 136064-001
Color: Black/Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Mocha”
Release Date: 09/15/2001
Style Code: 136064-121
Color: White/Dark Mocha
Air Jordan 3 “True Blue”
Release Date: 11/17/2001
Style Code: 136064-141
Color: White/True Blue
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement”
Release Date: 04/19/2003
Style Code: 136064-102
Color: White/Cement Grey-Fire Red
Air Jordan 3 “Cool Grey”
Release Date: 02/24/2007
Style Code: 315297-062
Color: Silver/Sport Red-Light Graphite-Orange Peel
Air Jordan 3 “White Flip”
Release Date: 03/24/2007
Style Code: 315767-101
Color: White/Metallic Silver-Black-Varsity Red
Air Jordan 3 “Fire Red”
Release Date: 03/24/2007
Style Code: 136064-161
Color: White/Fire Red-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Harbor Blue” (W)
Release Date: 03/24/2007
Style Code: 315296-142
Color: White/Harbor Blue-Boarder Blue
Air Jordan 3 “Do The Right Thing”
Release Date: 04/14/2007
Style Code: 315297-471
Color: Brisk Blue/Radiant Green-Pro Gold
Air Jordan 3 “Pure Money”
Release Date: 05/12/2007
Style Code: 136064-103
Color: White/Metallic Silver
Air Jordan 3 “Black Cat”
Release Date: 06/16/2007
Style Code: 136064-002
Color: Black/Dark Charcoal
Air Jordan 3 “CDP”
Release Date: 10/18/2008
Style Code: 340254-061
Color: Black/Cement Grey-Fire Red
Air Jordan 3 “True Blue”
Release Date: 09/08/2009
Style Code: 136064-141
Color: White/True Blue
Air Jordan 3 “Silver Anniversary”
Release Date: 03/27/2010
Style Code: 398613-102
Color: White/Metallic Silver
Air Jordan 3 “Doernbecher”
Release Date: 12/04/2010
Style Code: 437536-600
Color: Varsity Red/Metallic Silver-Black
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement”
Release Date: 01/22/2011
Style Code: 136064-105
Color: White/Fire Red-Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “BHM”
Release Date: 02/26/2011
Style Code: 455657-001
Color: Black/Metallic Gold
Air Jordan 3 “True Blue”
Release Date: 06/04/2011
Style Code: 136064-104
Color: White/True Blue
Air Jordan 3 “Stealth”
Release Date: 09/03/2011
Style Code: 136064-003
Color: Stealth/Varsity Red-Light Graphite
Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
Release Date: 11/25/2011
Style Code: 136064-010
Color: Black/Varsity Red-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Black Flip”
Release Date: 12/03/2011
Style Code: 315767-001
Color: Black/Metallic Silver
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” (Retro ’88)
Release Date: 02/06/2013
Style Code: 580775-160
Color: White/Fire Red-Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Joker”
Release Date: 02/16/2013
Style Code: 136064-018
Color: Black/Electric Green-Canyon Purple-White
Air Jordan 3 “Crimson”
Release Date: 02/23/2013
Style Code: 136064-005
Color: Black/Bright Crimson-Canyon Purple-Prism Violet
Air Jordan 3 “Doernbecher”
Release Date: 07/20/2013
Style Code: 437536-600
Color: Varsity Red/Metallic Silver-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Fire Red”
Release Date: 08/03/2013
Style Code: 136064-120
Color: White/Fire Red-Silver-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Fear”
Release Date: 08/24/2013
Style Code: 626967-040
Color: Night Stadium/Total Orange-Black-Neutral Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Powder Blue”
Release Date: 01/18/2014
Style Code: 136064-406
Color: Dark Powder Blue/Black-White-Wolf Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Infrared 23”
Release Date: 03/08/2014
Style Code: 136064-123
Color: White/Black-Cement Grey-Infrared 23
Air Jordan 5LAB3
Release Date: 04/01/2014
Style Code: 631603-003
Color: Reflect Silver/Black
Air Jordan 5LAB3
Release Date: 05/17/2014
Style Code: 631603-010
Color: Black/Black-Clear
Air Jordan 3 “Wolf Grey”
Release Date: 07/19/2014
Style Code: 136064-004
Color: Wolf Grey/Metallic Silver-Black-White
Air Jordan 3 “Sport Blue”
Release Date: 08/16/2014
Style Code: 136064-007
Color: Black/Sport Blue-Wolf Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Cyber Monday”
Release Date: 10/15/2016
Style Code: 136064-020
Color: Black/Black-White
Air Jordan 3 GS “Purple Dust”
Release Date: 08/16/2014
Style Code: 441140-506
Color: Purple Dust/Atomic Pink
Air Jordan 3 “True Blue”
Release Date: 11/25/2016
Style Code: 854262-106
Color: White/True Blue-Varsity Red
Air Jordan 3 “Wool”
Release Date: 12/17/2016
Style Code: 854263-004
Color: Dark Grey/Dark Grey-Sail
Air Jordan 3 GS “Rio Teal”
Release Date: 12/24/2016
Style Code: 441140-018
Color: Black/Metallic Gold-Rio Teal-White
atmos x Air Jordan 3 “Safari”
Release Date: 03/18/2017
Style Code: 923096-001
Color: Black/Bonsai-Flax-Kumquat-Chestnut
Air Jordan 3 GS “Anthracite”
Release Date: 10/07/2017
Style Code: 441140-035
Color: Anthracite/Metallic Red Bronze-White
Air Jordan 3 GS “Heiress”
Release Date: 11/04/2017
Style Code: AA1243-020
Color: Metallic Silver/Cool Grey-White
Air Jordan 3 Tinker
Release Date: 03/24/2018
Style Code: AQ3835-160
Color: White/Black-Fire Red-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Hall of Fame” (Katrina)
Release Date: 05/12/2018
Style Code: 136064-116
Color: White/Fire Red-Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Particle Beige” (W)
Release Date: 06/08/2018
Style Code: AH7859-205
Color: Particle Beige/Metallic Red Bronze-Sail
Air Jordan 3 “International Flight”
Release Date: 06/30/2018
Style Code: 136064-140
Color: Sail/Sport Royal-Light Bone-Fire Red
Air Jordan 3 “Quai 54”
Release Date: 07/07/2018
Style Code: AT9195-001
Color: Black/Black-Electric Green-Infrared 23
Air Jordan 3 “Pure White”
Release Date: 07/21/2018
Style Code: 136064-111
Color: White/White-White
Air Jordan 3 Flyknit
Release Date: 08/15/2018
Style Code: AQ1005-001
Color: Black/Black-Anthracite
Air Jordan 3 JTH “Bio Beige” (Justin Timberlake)
Release Date: 08/29/2018
Style Code: AV6683-200
Color: Bio Beige/Opti Yellow-Bio Beige
Vogue x Air Jordan 3 AWOK (W)
Release Date: 09/07/2018
Style Code: BQ3195-601
Color: University Red/Sail-Black
Vogue x Air Jordan 3 AWOK (W)
Release Date: 09/07/2018
Style Code: BQ3195-001
Color: Black/Sail
Air Jordan 3 “Bordeaux” (W)
Release Date: 09/21/2018
Style Code: AH7859-600
Color: Bordeaux/Bordeaux-Phantom
Air Jordan 3 “Chlorophyll”
Release Date: 11/10/2018
Style Code: 136064-006
Color: Light Smoke Grey/Chlorophyll-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Mocha”
Release Date: 12/15/2018
Style Code: 136064-122
Color: White/Dark Mocha-Chrome
Air Jordan 3 Explorer XX (W)
Release Date: 12/30/2018
Style Code: BQ0006-001
Color: Black/Black-Sail
Air Jordan 3 Explorer XX (W)
Release Date: 01/17/2019
Style Code: BQ0006-401
Color: Midnight Navy/Light Cream-Light Cream
Air Jordan 3 Explorer XX (W)
Release Date: 02/01/2019
Style Code: BQ8463-003
Color: Vast Grey/Tropical Twist-Atmosphere
Air Jordan 3 Explorer Lite XX (W)
Release Date: 03/30/2019
Style Code: BQ8394-100
Color: Sail/Blue Void-Turf Orange
Air Jordan 3 Tinker (Air Max 1)
Release Date: 03/31/2019
Style Code: CJ0939-100
Color: White/University Red-Neutral Grey
Air Jordan 3 Explorer Lite XX (W)
Release Date: 04/22/2019
Style Code: BQ8394-002
Color: Desert Sand/Pale Ivory-Pale Ivory-Atmosphere
Air Jordan 3 Tinker
Release Date: 07/27/2019
Style Code: CK4348-007
Color: Black/Cement Grey-Metallic Gold
Air Jordan 3 “Knicks”
Release Date: 09/21/2019
Style Code: 136064-148
Color: White/Old Royal-University Orange-Tech Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Animal Instinct”
Release Date: 12/19/2019
Style Code: CK4344-002
Color: Black/Sail/Gum Light Brown/Multi-Color
Air Jordan 3 GS “Barely Grape”
Release Date: 01/04/2020
Style Code: 441140-500
Color: Barely Grape/Hyper Crimson-Fire Pink
Air Jordan 3 “Red Cement” (Chi)
Release Date: 02/11/2020
Style Code: CU2277-600
Color: Fire Red/Fire Red/Cement Grey/Black
Air Jordan 3 “Red Cement”
Release Date: 02/15/2020
Style Code: CK5692-600
Color: Fire Red/Fire Red/Cement Grey/Black
Air Jordan 3 “UNC”
Release Date: 03/07/2020
Style Code: CT8532-104
Color: White/Valor Blue-Tech Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Animal Instinct 2.0”
Release Date: 06/26/2020
Style Code: CV3583-003
Color: Black/Black/White/Gorge Green
Air Jordan 3 “Varsity Royal”
Release Date: 06/27/2020
Style Code: CT8532-400
Color: Varsity Royal/Varsity Royal
Air Jordan 3 “Denim” (CO.JP)
Release Date: 08/08/2020
Style Code: CZ6433-100
Color: White/Fire Red-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Laser Orange” (W)
Release Date: 08/21/2020
Style Code: CK9246-108
Color: White/Laser Orange-Cement Grey-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Denim” (Nike Air)
Release Date: 08/27/2020
Style Code: CZ6431-100
Color: White/Fire Red-Black
Fragment x Air Jordan 3
Release Date: 09/17/2020
Style Code: DA3595-100
Color: White/White-Black
Air Jordan 3 “Court Purple”
Release Date: 11/21/2020
Style Code: CT8532-050
Color: Black/Cement Grey-White-Court Purple
Air Jordan 3 “Cool Grey”
Release Date: 02/20/2021
Style Code: CT8532-012
Color: Silver/Light Graphite-Orange Peel-Sport Red
Air Jordan 3 “Georgetown”
Release Date: 03/20/2021
Style Code: CT8532-401
Color: Midnight Navy/Cement Grey-White
Air Jordan 3 GS “Electric Green”
Release Date: 05/12/2018
Style Code: DA2304-003
Color: Black/White-Electric Green-Violet Shock
Air Jordan 3 “Rust Pink” (W)
Release Date: 05/28/2021
Style Code: CK9246-600
Color: Sail/Rust Pink-White-Crimson
A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3 (W)
Release Date: 06/10/2021
Style Code: DH3434-110
Color: White/Medium Grey-Violet Ore-White
Air Jordan 3 “Racer Blue”
Release Date: 07/10/2021
Style Code: CT8532-145
Color: White/Black-Cement Grey-Racer Blue
Air Jordan 3 “Pine Green”
Release Date: 11/13/2021
Style Code: CT8532-030
Color: Black/Pine Green-Cement Grey-White
Air Jordan 3 “Camo”
Release Date: 11/29/2021
Style Code: DO1830-200
Color: N/A
Air Jordan 3 “Cardinal”
Release Date: 02/19/2022
Style Code: CT8532-126
Color: White/Light Curry-Cardinal Red-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 GS “Kumquat”
Release Date: 03/02/2022
Style Code: 441140-088
Color: Black/Kumquat/Team Orange/White
Air Jordan 3 SE “Muslin”
Release Date: 03/25/2022
Style Code: DH7139-100
Color: Muslin/University Red-Cement Grey-Sail
Air Jordan 3 “Neapolitan”
Release Date: 05/14/2022
Style Code: CK9246-102
Color: White/Dark Mocha-Atmosphere-Sail
Air Jordan 3 “Desert Elephant”
Release Date: 07/30/2022
Style Code: CT8532-008
Color: Black/Rush Orange-Fossil Stone-Sail
Air Jordan 3 “Dark Iris”
Release Date: 08/24/2022
Style Code: CT8532-105
Color: White/Black-Dark Iris-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 OG “Fire Red”
Release Date: 09/10/2022
Style Code: DN3707-160
Color: White/Fire Red/Cement Grey/Black
Air Jordan 3 “Black/Gold” (W)
Release Date: 10/06/2022
Style Code: CK9246-067
Color: Black/Fire Red-Metallic Gold-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 Winterized “Archaeo Brown”
Release Date: 10/08/2022
Style Code: DR8869-200
Color: Archaeo Brown/Dark Smoke Grey/Fossil Stone/Light Bordeaux/Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 GS “Mars Stone”
Release Date: 01/27/2023
Style Code: DV7028-108
Color: White/Black-Marstone-Team Orange
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” (Reimagined)
Release Date: 03/11/2023
Style Code: DN3707-100
Color: Summit White/Fire Red/Black/Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Wizards”
Release Date: 04/29/2023
Style Code: CT8532-148
Color: White/Metallic Copper-True Blue-Cement Grey
Air Jordan 3 “Lucky Green” (W)
Release Date: 05/18/2023
Style Code: CK9246-136
Color: White/Varsity Red-Lucky Green-Cement Grey-Anthracite-Sail
Air Jordan 3 GS “Hide N' Sneak”
Release Date: 06/06/2023
Style Code: DX6665-100
Color: WHITE/BLACK/IRON/SAIL/CEMENT GREY
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