When does the Air Jordan 3 Black Cement drop?

One of the most anticipated sneaker releases of the year is upon us tomorrow as the AIr Jordan 3 Black Cement returns for the first time in six years for a retail price of $220.

Unboxing the Air Jordan 3 "Black Cement" releasing on November 23.

How many pairs are you copping? pic.twitter.com/OHfoR79hb2

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) November 12, 2024

I’ve written about it before, but the Air Jordan 3 is the shoe that saved not only the Air Jordan line, but also likely Nike in general. The story goes that Michael Jordan was disgruntled with the Swoosh following the release of the Air Jordan 2 and was strongly considering jumping ship to join Peter Moore and Rob Strasser, who themselves had left Nike to work with a new shoe brand. Luckily for sneakerheads, Nike put Tinker Hatfield on the case and he came up with one of the most iconic designs in sneaker history (not surprising for the man who authored so many of our favorite kicks). The fact he actually listened to what Michael wanted from the sneaker and actually delivered it was the start of a beautiful (and lucrative) friendship and birthed a sneaker that changed the game, on and off the court.

The Air Jordan 3 is a shoe that looks good right out of the box or in its 1,000th wear, one of those shoes that somehow looks almost as good cooked as it does brand new. Featuring a mid cut, the Air Jordan 3 was a departure for its era, standing out thanks to the now iconic elephant print, visible Nike Air units (which Hatfield had introduced with the famed Air Max 1 in 1986) and the then-new Jumpman logo, which was front and center on the tongue. It also was the start of the iconic Mike and Spike commercial collaboration, as Jordan was joined by legendary director Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon character in TV spots to help sell the then-latest and greatest from the Air Jordan line.

For the 2024 retro, Jordan Brand claims it is “as close to the feel, fit and shape of the original that released in ’88.” The Black Cements have all the classic Air Jordan elements you would expect, from a tumbled leather upper featuring the iconic elephant print accents, to the white midsole with the visible air units to Nike Air branding on the back heel to gray accents on the tongue and the outsole. It should be noted that this retro is NOT part of the reimagined line, as last year’s White Cements were. That means those who hated the faux aging on the midsole need not worry as the Black Cements will look pristine right out of the box, as if you had just taken Doc Brown’s DeLorean back to 1988.

Of course, the Black Cement is one of the four OG colorways that dropped in 1988 alongside the Fire Red, the White Cement and the White/True Blue. It is arguable whether the Black Cement or the White Cement is more iconic. I’d probably lean toward the Black Cement, but you can’t go wrong either way. Of course, MJ had his fair share of iconic moments in all of these colorways, including winning the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest in the White Cement and taking home the 1988 NBA All-Star Game MVP while sporting the Black Cement.

This shoe is guaranteed to sell out. However, the fact there was an early shock drop as well as SNKRS Passes would seem to indicate there should be plenty of inventory. In fact, it has been rumored on X that there will be over 200,000 pairs available globally. Thanks to those early release opportunities, the 2024 version of the Air Jordan 3 Black Cement is available on StockX right now with an average price of $253 on 3,481 sales, which represents a 4% price premium. Now, all that price info could change once the shoes actually drop and inevitably sell out, but even if they don’t have pandemic-era resale value that doesn’t mean they don’t have high emotional value for all the older heads who grew up watching MJ and wearing the Black Cements, or even the newer generation who have grown up with these as grails. So, if you want a pair, you better be ready right at 10 a.m., no matter how down the resale market has been of late.

Best of luck to all looking to pick up a pair!

Air Jordan 3 Black Cement Release Details

To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.

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