Jordan 3 Retro

Elegant tones and varied textures make this Jordan 3 Retro a captivating design, while its light blue highlights have seen it nicknamed UNC, just like other sneakers that carry the color of Jordan’s alma mater. The first flash of Valor Blue appears on the oval-shaped pod of the outsole, which is marked with concentric circle grip lines. Around it, the rest of the part below the forefoot is Tech Grey, its surface exhibiting industrial-looking traction patterns. Much of the heel is Tech Grey too, but its center and medial edge are black, and white Jordan text is written across it. Its toe is capped with star-shaped nodes that extend upwards to meet the white front of the midsole. This rests up against a piece of white polyurethane that fills out the midfoot and reaches low around the heel, a Valor Blue layer encircling the back of the foot just above it. Meanwhile, set into the white part of the heel is visible Air cushioning that delivers high levels of comfort to the wearer.

The upper is largely formed of white tumbled leather, which covers the mudguard and the larger quarter overlay, giving both a dappled feel. More elegant white tones can be seen over the top of the foot as the composite eyestay brings together black ringlets in its lower leather part with TPU elements on its top portion that are colored Valor Blue. Tiny ventilation holes surround these latter features, with more narrow holes showing up on the bottom half of the tongue and around the collar, again in white. More dark eyelets have been placed in the front of the collar to add a further lacing option, just ahead of the big Valor Blue Jumpman that has been embroidered into the tongue, a black outline giving the logo a visual lift from its white background.

Within, the shoe has a padded white lining and the back of the tongue is coated in a velvety soft fabric in a dark blue tone. A red patch has been sewn into the latter, the bright color reappearing on the insole below. Here, another striking piece of branding can be found in the form of a Team Jordan tag that blends black, gray, red and white. Meanwhile, on the outer, the white cone-shaped heel panel is adorned with parallel ridges that provide grip for the fingers when pulling the shoe on and embossed with black Air text below a Jumpman silhouette in the same hue. Finally, elephant print mudguards in the heel and toe give this Air Jordan 3 a heritage aesthetic that concludes the sneaker in style.