Words by digital creator, a true magician on the lens, Community member Ben @inbentiveminds

Tell us about your self and your journey in sneakers?

In the mid to late 2000s I used to wear a lot of Converse and Air Max 90s, and found the 90s extremely comfortable as I use to run up and down serving customers at the sneaker store, I worked at. It wasn’t until around 2008 that I started taking more of an interest with Jordan sneakers, where some customers were going crazy with the Countdown Packs. They used to camp outside the store waiting for them to be released as the doors opened. The AJ3 was one of those silhouettes that pipped my interest straight away.

Tell us about your personal connection with the AJ3 silhouette?

The one pair that caught my eye were the True Blue 3s from 2009 that my supervisor was wearing on the shop floor which led to me buying my first pair. Since then, I’ve gathered around 13 pairs of 3s as I’m quite particular with colourways and usually only go for the OG colours or ones that stand out.

For me the AJ3 is such an iconic silhouette that goes with pretty much any outfit you wear, in mainly the White Cement and Black Cement colourways.

My Black Cement pair from 2011 which is pretty beat now, is a special pair to me since it’s been on many memorable trips such as the Philippines, Japan, Switzerland and many others.

For you what is about the Aj3 that makes it special over the other models?

For me I love the story surrounding the shoe. It was the first Jordan design by Tinker Hatfield who sat and listened to Jordan which helped contribute to the design process. The AJ3 introduced a visible air unit for the first time that was taken from the Air Revolution and brought in the Jumpman logo, which was another first rather than the traditional wings logo from its two predecessors.

Many sneaker enthusiasts and basketball fans would recall Jordan wearing the AJ3 White Cement during his iconic win in 1988’s Slam Dunk contest for his second-year win in a row. All these historical factors make it one of the all-time greats.

The Air Jordan 3 is celebrating its 35th Anniversary with the return of its most iconic colourway. How does the 2023 edition compare to the previous retros?

With the 2023 version of the White Cement just around the corner I’m super excited to get a hold of a pair or 3! From what I can see after reviewing pictures and videos they are close to the original 1988 version. Firstly, the aged OG box is a great touch if you were to look at a box from 1988 today as most of them would have aged by now although the original was box was much thinner. The Nike Air on the pull tab is also a lot better compared to the 2013 ‘88’ version, which looked a lot skinnier. That pair also had the words ‘Jordan’ on the outsole rather than ‘Nike’. I presume this is closer to the OG.

The vintage detailing of the aged midsole and pull tab (pre-yellowed) to me is a nice touch as it gives a sense of feeling that you’re holding or wearing a piece of history.

Some may not agree as they would much prefer their shoes to age naturally but I think it’s great. Overall, I think this is the best iteration of the White Cement 3s since 1994 as they’ve tried to match everything as closely as possible to the original.

This White Cement colourway is arguably one of the most iconic models. Some would say it sits next to the AJ1 Bred. Would you agree? Where does the AJ3 stand in the rankings for you?

100% agree. I always have trouble when it comes to the White and Black Cement 3s when paired up with the Jordan 1 Chicago and Bred as they would all sit next to each other for me. It’s a very close call but In terms of ranking, the AJ3 sits in my top 3 alongside the AJ1 and AJ4.

What would you love to see next for the AJ3?

Just the like the Air Jordan 1 High 85, I feel that Jordan should definitely do something similar where they get the shape and other details even closer and call it something like the Air Jordan III Mid 88s. That would be dope! With retro OGs releasing every couple of years, new colourways and collabs I feel that would be something different that I would be looking forward to.

Check out more from Ben on Instagram @inbentiveminds

SLAM DUNK SATURDAY

Those of you lucky enough to bag a win were able to pick up from our ‘reimagined’ hatch at London Selfridges. Offspring’s ‘Slam-Dunk Saturday’ recreated Michael Jordan’s iconic 1988 Slam Dunk contest win, featuring some familiar faces in the crowd. Big thanks to Community member @freyamaydesign for her amazing illustration skills, featured on the give-away tote bags and postcards.

Here’s a glimpse of pick up day, courtesy of the Community.