The Air Jordan 3 Rare Air continues Jordan Brand’s “Rare Air” theme that kicked off with the AJ1 — now reimagined on the AJ3 silhouette. Just like with the 1s, this pair pulls from early samples, design flaws, and unreleased concepts to create something familiar, yet tweaked. From a distance, these have a vague Black Cement 3 vibe, but closer inspection reveals some clever and intentional “mistakes.”
Key changes include swapping out the classic elephant print for clean suede panels, a mirror-flipped Nike Air logo on the right heel tab, and special “Rare Air” branded insoles. It’s all part of the concept: what if the shoe came out this way before the final design was locked in?
I was into the look of these from the start, especially since I already have pairs like the Black Cement and Lucky Shorts AJ3s and wanted something a little different that still scratched that OG look itch. The blue accents really make the design pop, and I’m personally a fan of the reversed Nike Air branding — adds just enough “wrongness” to make them stand out. After seeing Shoe Palace knock $60 off retail, I had to grab a pair. Plus, I like the newer, more sloped shape Jordan Brand has been using lately — less of that old boxy toebox we saw in previous 3s.
They come in a modern take on the classic Jordan face box — dark grey and black with an image of MJ’s face on the lid — and include both black and sail/white “vintage” style laces, just like the Rare Air 1s.
Materials
The materials on this pair are better than I expected for a general release Jordan 3. The leather on the upper is soft and looks good in hand, while the suede on the panels (normally elephant print) and eyestay/tongue adds texture without feeling cheap. It’s not Made-in-USA New Balance-level quality, but for an Air Jordan 3 retro, these are well done.
Fit & Comfort
Fit is your typical Jordan 3: true to size and slightly roomy. I usually find AJ3s comfortable for casual wear, and these fall in line. Cushioning is retro-style — don’t expect bounce — but the underfoot feel seems a bit softer than older pairs. That might just be a placebo, but either way, I find these easy to wear around for a few hours at a time.
If these are sold out at different stores online, you can try looking for them on eBay.
Colorway: Black / Chili Red – Neutral Grey
Style Code: IB8967-004
Year of Release: 2025
Retail Price: $205