Jordan 3 Retro

This Jordan 3 Retro exudes dapper styling, making it an appealing sneaker. It has been constructed upon a solid rubber outsole with Fossil Stone edges and a Sail section below the heel that contrast strongly against the Jordan lettering embossed onto the latter and the oval-shaped piece beneath the forefoot, both of which come in bright Rush Orange. This last segment has circular grip lines radiating across it, while the rest of the outsole combines a mixture of more blocky tread patterns, and tiny embossed stars line the toe. All of this gives the wearer fantastic traction so that the midsole can deal with comfort. This layered feature does so with its Air cushioning, which can be seen through the clear window in the heel, the midsole itself being formed mostly from Sail-coloured polyurethane. The exceptions to this are the Sail rubber that engulfs the toe, and the top layer of polyurethane around the heel, which is black.

Above this, the upper is made of supple black tumbled leather. This deep colour coats much of the outer, including the mudguard, the primary overlay and even the large heel panel. However, its dark tones are counterbalanced by the lighter hue of Fossil Stone, which shows up around the collar and beside the top half of the tongue. Both sections are filled with miniscule perforations, thus helping the foot to breathe, and the latter also contains three pieces of black semi-circular TPU on each side. Eyelets within each one accommodate the black laces, which are then threaded through Rush Orange ringlets set into the black leather folding over the lower half of the eyestay. The tongue they tie up across exhibits Fossil Stone shading once more and has additional ventilation holes in its top half. Its upper half, meanwhile, displays a radiant Rush Orange Jumpman.

Inside, the Fossil Stone lining is coated in a soft, fuzzy material, offering a gentle softness around the foot. The back of the tongue adds a little more tonal variation with its Rush Orange colouration, but the insole returns to Fossil Stone. Here, a unique rectangular emblem can be found. Its black surface is adorned with a picture of an elephant, a plus sign, the Jumpman logo, an equals sign and then a picture of a basketball player, presumably Michael Jordan, standing calmly while tossing a ball in his right hand. This imaginative design is part of the reason the shoe’s nickname is Desert Elephant, the other part being the faux elephant hide overlays on the heel and toe. These suede panels are a pleasant shade of brown and each has a rough complexion, just like elephant skin. Just above where this material wraps around the heel is a Sail Jumpman and the word “Air”, both of which have been thickly embossed into the heel panel to complete this captivating Air Jordan 3.