Jordan 3

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JORDAN AND NIKE SPLITTING WAYS:-

After the failure of Air Jordan 2, Nike and Michael Jordan were on the verge of splitting their ways. It was not only the failure of Air Jordan 2 but Michael Jordan also felt that he didn’t had creative freedom on his shoe that he wanted. He wanted the shoe to be light rather than heavy like the Air Jordan 2 and wanted some design changes too.

Moreover, Jordan’s previous designer Peter Moore had started his own brand and wanted to sign Michael Jordan, and as we all know the huge catalog of Jordan’s would not exist today if that deal had occurred and if the Jordan 3 had not been successful. Thus it is not wrong to say that the shoe that literary rescued Nike from losing their biggest asset was none other than the Jordan 3.
Jordan 3


SIGNING JORDAN BACK:-

In late 1987, Michael Jordan’s five year contract was going to end with Nike, and Jordan was pretty set on not renewing it, being frustrated with the design directions of the Air Jordan line and wasn’t happy with the company.

Meanwhile, Peter Moore and Rob Strasser left the company to create their own venture, sports incorporated, Nike was afraid of them signing Jordan.
Rob Strasser

Peter Moore

Coming of the success of the Nike Air Max, 
a young Tinker Hatfield was assigned the task of designing the Jordan 3. 
Tinker Hatfield 

The shoe was already behind 6 months in schedule and the pressure to woo Jordan back to Nike was mounting. Up until that point Michael Jordan felt like his voice didn’t mattered, when it came to the design of his shoes. Tinker Hatfield’s approach was a bit different, he was genuinely interested in what Michael wanted and unlike his predecessors he actually sat down with Michael and listened to his suggestions and requests that he had for the shoe. He found out that Michael Jordan didn’t had suggestions but had serious demands that were specific.

Many sleepless nights later, Tinker Hatfield came with a design for Air Jordan 3, and it was time to present the shoe to Michael Jordan.

PRESENTING THE SHOE TO JORDAN:-


Presenting the shoe to Michael Jordan was a big deal in itself. When Tinker Hatfield along with Phil Knight moved to California to present the shoe to Michael Jordan, he was no where to be found, in fact he was out golfing with former Nike executives, Peter Moore and Rob Strasser who were pitching MJ their new company.

Four nerve wracking hours later, Michael Jordan showed up, he had a long day and he wasn’t in the best mood. Once the small talk was over Phil Knight called Tinker Hatfield to lead the meeting. Tinker pulled the shroud of the Air Jordan 3, it quickly reminded Michael of the demands that he made.

To make the shoe feel like they are broken in right out of the box, Hatfield used tumbled leather, which made the shoe soft and supple in the right places. Hatfield also made it a midtop just as Jordan demanded and started the era of midtop sneakers because before the Jordan 3 no midtop shoes existed as such. It was also the first Nike shoe with a visible air unit in the heel.

Visible air unit 

When Michael Jordan had a closer inspection of the shoe and looked at the elephant print and looked at the jumpman logo, he was sold.

Till date Phil Knight, the founder of Nike still credits Tinker Hatfield to save the company.

MARKET PERFORMANCE OF JORDAN 3:-

To advertise the Jordan 3 Nike made a commercial with the company Wieden & Kennedy, and hired then up and coming director Spike Lee to direct a series of commercials. Spike Lee’s 1986 movie “Do the right thing” featured Mars Blackmon, an Air Jordan obsessed character that Spike plays in the movie.
Do the right thing

Spike Lee

Michael Jordan had a great season in NBA and the shoe performed really well in the market and the rest is history.


If you want to know about Air Jordan 1:- https://desisneakerhead.blogspot.com/2023/03/air-jordan-1.html

If you want to know about Air Jordan 2:- https://desisneakerhead.blogspot.com/2023/03/air-jordan-2.html


Location: F2X9+83 Jamnagar, Gujarat, India

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