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Since the introduction of Air Jordan sneakers back in 1985, the Jordan Brand has remained the most popular basketball shoe supplier of all time. Of the 27 Air Jordan models that have been made to date, perhaps the most revolutionary of them is the Jordan III.
As the first pair of Air Jordans designed by Tinker Hatfield, the IIIs set the standard for premium basketball footwear. By using new materials, technology, and a fresh design, the sneakers immediately took the basketball world by storm. Michael Jordan’s success in the IIIs on the court made them a must-have for anyone who wanted to ball like Mike.
This is a look back at the history of the Jordan IIIs and what made them such a legendary product for the future of performance shoes. From the introduction of the Jumpman logo to the ground-breaking marketing campaign with Spike Lee, click through to see why the Jordan IIIs define game-changing sneakers.
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No. 10 - Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan has had many foes on the court in his illustrious career. However, one in particular stands out above the rest. During the 1986-87 NBA season, Jordan set an arena record with 56 points in an epic battle against Charles Barkley and the Philadelphia 76ers. This was really the first time the general population took notice of the Jordan IIIs. From then on the two superstars came to a mutual respect for one another.
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No. 9 - Visible Air Unit
Sometimes unconventional can be effective. The IIIs were the first pair of Jordans to feature a visible Air unit. The reaction was immense, as the design revolutionized the future design of all performance sneakers.
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No. 8 - MJ Wins Defensive Player of the Year
MJ has always been fueled by nay-sayers. In 1988, Motivated by the critics who labeled him a purely offensive baller, his "Airness" rose to the occasion by becoming the first player ever to lead the league in scoring and win the Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season, in his IIIs of course.
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No. 7 - Tinker Hatfield's Elephant-Skin 'Floater" Leather
It wasn't easy to please Michael Jordan, but Tinker Hatfield found a way. The iconic elephant-skin textured ‘floater’ leather was developed in order to satisfy MJ’s desire for animal prints on the court.
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No. 6 - MJ wins NBA MVP Award
This was just the beginning of MJ's incredible journey. During the 1987-88 NBA season, MJ won his first of five NBA MVP awards while wearing the Jordan IIIs.
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No. 5 - MJ Stays With Nike
Things could have turned out a lot differently if MJ didn't stick it out with Nike. Unhappy with the direction the company was headed, Michael Jordan was ready to switch brands until the 3s captured his attention and shed some light on the full potential of the brand.
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No. 4 - Revolutionary Design
The Jordan IIIs were the first pair of basketball sneakers to feature a mid cut. It was truly a game-changing departure from the expected high top cuts on the court.
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No. 3 - MJ and Spike Lee Join Forces
Spike Lee’s comedic take to Jordan’s marketing campaign was something never before seen. One particular commercial featured Spike as his Jordan-loving Mars Blackmon character standing on MJ’s shoulders in a pair of the IIIs. #Legend
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No. 2 - The Jumpman Logo Makes its Debut
As the first pair of Jordans to feature the Jumpman logo, the IIIs paved the way for an incredibly successful branding campaign. Tinker Hatfield incorporated the logo into the shoe without consulting MJ. Luckily, things worked out just fine.
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No. 1 - MJ Dunks From the Free-Throw Line
And finally, this defining moment of the Jordan III proves why it's considered a game-changing success today. The pinnacle moment can be traced back to the 1988 All Star weekend in Chicago, where Michael Jordan laced up in the IIIs and topped Dominique Wilkins in the dunk contest in dramatic fashion with his epic, gravity-defying dunk from the free-throw line. An iconic moment that tops our list for this influential sneaker.
