In the annals of sneaker legends there are few more hallowed than a pair of Air Jordans. It’s hard to imagine that this iconic shoe almost never happened, but for the influence of the legendary Tinker Hatfield himself who convinced a frustrated Michael Jordan to keep his partnership with Nike. Three decades later the fruits of that labor have firmly cemented the Air Jordan’s place in sneaker history. Thus it’s only appropriate that Nike celebrates this milestone with the release of an all-new colorway of the Air Jordan 3.
Nicknamed the “Tinker,” this pair of shoes reinvents the first Jumpman branded Air Jordan with the help of Hatfield’s original Nike swooshes. In fact, each pair is based on Hatfield’s early sketches for the Air Jordan 3. Hatfield’s fingerprints are all over the shoes, evidenced in his autograph on the tongue and insole. There are also Tinker signature hang tags in a nod to the sneaker swag of the 1990s, but the bold, remixed Fire Red colorway seems fresh and new. Other updates on the anniversary shoe include light grey mudguards, black upper midsoles, a grey embroidered Nike on one side, Nike Air branding on the heel, and the iconic black swoosh.