The Air Jordan 3 addressed all of MJ’s complaints. The upper was made with tumbled leather for an instantly broken-in feel on foot. It was also the first mid cut Air Jordan, and the first to feature the Jumpman. The midsole also featured the visible Air unit from Hatfield’s AM1. Tinker would continue to take MJ’s feedback on board for all his Air Jordan designs.

With all those features out of the way, we’ve gotta talk about the look. The Black Cement was one of four original colourways that first dropped in 1988. The tumbled leather portions come in black, while the AJ3’s signature elephant print overlays on the toe and heel come in ‘Cement Grey’. 

The Air Jordan 3 had a massive release in 1988. The shoe was backed by an apparel line and was featured in a famous ad campaign by Spike Lee. The AJ3 was also worn by MJ during yet another standout season when he won Defensive Player of the Year. He specifically wore the Black Cements during the 1988 NBA All-Star Game.