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The Top 10 Best Air Jordan 3 Sneakers Of All Time

Tafadzwa Njovana by Tafadzwa Njovana
February 7, 2025
in Trending
best Air Jordan 3 sneakers

Custom image created by Jarrod Saunders for Sneaker Fortress

This post includes references to products from some of our advertisers. We may earn compensation when you click on links to these products. The opinions and information provided on this site are the original editorial content of Sneaker Fortress.

This It’s a question that gets asked all the time, even more so in 2024: “What are the best Air Jordan 3 sneakers of all time?” Well, we’ve put together an amazing list of the best of the best, chosen by popularity, rareness and, of course, the design quality of the silhouette. Here, we’ve ranked the 10 best (or top 10) Air Jordan 3 colourways of all time.

Air Jordan 3 Retro “Black Cement”

Air Jordan 3 Retro “Black Cement”
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

This sneaker is time-honoured as a pillar of sneaker culture. With an absolutely striking blend of black, cement grey and fire red accents, this shoe is all about sophistication and athleticism. That tumbled leather upper features here, while the signature elephant print overlays somehow look bolder and more potent on this colourway than on any other AJ3. It is, without question, still one of the best-selling Air Jordan 3s ever, and the number of re-releases and ‘re-imaginings’ bears witness to this.

Air Jordan 3 Retro “White Cement”

Air Jordan 3 Retro White Cement
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

This is the true OG, the grail, the root from which all others came. On this colourway, we first came to truly love and appreciate the 3’s signature elephant print, clean lines, and historical significance. While wearing this sneaker, MJ blew our minds by flying from the free throw line to the rim in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. For this reason, this shoe is an icon.

Air Jordan 3 Retro “True Blue”

Air Jordan 3 Retro True Blue
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

The Air Jordan 3 Retro “True Blue” is a classic silhouette with a special place in sneaker history. The “True Blue” 3s feature a predominantly white leather upper, creating a clean and timeless look. As with the other classic colourways, the elephant print overlays are on the toe cap and heel. Some prominent and classy True Blue accents are on the eyelets, tongue lining, and Jumpman logo.

Air Jordan 3 Retro “Black Cat”

Air Jordan 3 Retro Black Cat
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

This sneaker, worn by Michael Jordan during his 2001-02 NBA comeback, is a thing of beauty – proving once more that every silhouette needs an all-black colourway in its back pocket. This one isn’t black, for blackness’ sake, though. There’s meaning to the name “Black Cat”, as His Airness was given that famed nickname by his high school and college friends and teammates.

Air Jordan 3 Retro “Cool Grey”

Air Jordan 3 Retro Cool Grey
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

Debuting in 2007 and then returning in 2021 (to much fanfare, mind you), the Air Jordan 3 “Cool Grey” established itself, like the “Mocha” we talked about just now, as a fine example of understated elegance. Leaving behind the vibrant and colourful hues usually associated with the 3, this colourway was more about sophisticated minimalism.

Solefly x Air Jordan 3 Retro “Lotto”

Solefly x Air Jordan 3 Retro Lotto
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

Somewhere in the world, there are sneaker lovers still profoundly hurt by the fact that SoleFly, the Miami-based sneaker boutique, didn’t make this collaboration available for mass consumption. The SoleFly x Air Jordan 3 Retro “Lotto” features premium materials and a vibrant colour scheme evocative of the Florida Lottery. Laser Crimson laces and Nightshade accents add playful energy, while Laser Orange details subtly recall the lottery’s logo

Air Jordan 3 “Mocha”

Air Jordan 3 Mocha
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

This subtle yet elegant release deserves its place on our list of the best Air Jordan 3 sneakers of all time. Sometimes, you don’t need to speak too loud to stamp your authority; the “Mocha” proves that. Made from pristine white tumbled leather like the OGs, the Air Jordan 3 “Mocha” boasts a clean, sophisticated aesthetic.

Air Jordan 3 “Seoul”

Air Jordan 3 “Seoul”
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

HReleased in 2018 and cooked up as a special celebration in the Nike Innovation Kitchen, this colourway pays homage to the 1988 Summer Olympics hosted in Seoul, South Korea. Designed by Tinker Hatfield and Dan Sunwoo, currently the Senior Director of Virtual Creation & Curation at Nike Virtual Studios, this limited-edition iteration draws inspiration from the Taegukgi, the Korean flag.

Air Jordan 3 “Fire Red”

Air Jordan 3 “Fire Red”
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

This is a striking, vibrant shoe that features the colours of the Chicago Bulls as accents. It was one of the original four colourways of the shoe to be released. The upper features a clean white leather base, providing a canvas for the eye-catching details, namely the iconic elephant print overlays adorning the toe cap, heel and eyestays. This textured pattern adds depth, energy and visual interest. 

Air Jordan 3 Retro “Doernbecher”

Air Jordan 3 Retro Doernbecher
Image Credit: Jordan Brand

There’s a really moving story behind this colourway. It was a collaboration between Nike and the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and was designed by 14-year-old Hugo “Juice” Covarrubias Molina. Hugo has a condition that causes one side of his body to grow larger than the other (Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome). The sneakers feature a navy blue upper with contrasting ‘slime green’ accents, paying homage to Hugo’s favourite football team, the Seattle Seahawks (Go Hawks!). See more amazing Jordan sneakers: Sneaker Fortress

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Tafadzwa Njovana

Tafadzwa Njovana

Tafadzwa Njovana is an experienced filmmaker, who has worked specifically as a writer, director and video editor. He is also a gifted voice artist, having worked with several high-profile brands.
Tafadzwa’s career in film and video was honed when he relocated to Cape Town, South Africa, to pursue his first love a BA Honours in Film Directing and Screenwriting. He has led diverse creative teams, including being the content lead for Christian Vision’s in-house publication, 1Africa, which was created to deal with the intersection of faith and popular culture. He currently straddles the worlds of writing and video as part of the team at Fortress Entertainment.
He is a lover of sport – specifically basketball (NBA) and American football (NFL) – though he is still working towards developing his knowledge of the X’s and O’s of both sports. He’ll watch and enjoy other sports too, especially when there are big, international competitions. His love of basketball has drawn him organically to love and appreciate sneakers – an area he writes about at Sneaker Fortress.
Between mid-June (when the NBA Finals end) and September (when the NFL season kicks off), he goes into a mini depression but uses his time wisely, reading and learning as much as he can. A fan of both MJ and LeBron, he refuses to be drawn into debates about who is the GOAT, preferring rather to channel that energy into other things like running The Reel Sauce, a YouTube channel celebrating the best of African screen entertainment in the streaming space.
Tafadzwa also learned to love sneakers through the avenue of hip-hop, having grown up in the era of Biggie, Pac, Dre and many other artists. Their fashion and sneaker choices spoke as much to him as their lyrics did, allowing him to write about that world even while pursuing his own lane as a creative.
Expertise: Filmmaking, Entertainment Journalism, Development Work Past Titles: Content Manager and then Specialist – CV Africa; Writer – Media for Development Trust Current Title: Content Manager – Fortress Ent. Contact: tafadzwanjovana@fortressza.com

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