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Air Jordan 3 Retro OG Black Cement 2024
Air Jordan 3 Retro OG Black Cement 2024
Culture Note™
Origin
Designed by Tinker Hatfield and released on 23 November 2024 as part of the Air Jordan 3 line. This release has a leather upper in Black/Fire Red/Cement Grey/Sail. Black Cement is the Air Jordan 3 in the colours that introduced the brand's most important material code. Nike handed the line to Tinker Hatfield after the first two models, and the 3 is where a basketball shoe became a design series with its own language: the grey cracked elephant print on the toe and heel, and the Jumpman on the tongue where the Nike wordmark used to sit. This is the OG retro, meaning the original proportions and the original tongue treatment rather than a modernised interpretation. Black with cement grey is the version that lets the print do everything, because the pattern is the only thing on the shoe that is not solid colour.
Utility
The print is the pattern, so keep clothing plain. Black straight leg denim with a grey crew and a black jacket lets the elephant print be the only texture in the outfit. Alternatively, go lighter underneath with grey wool trousers and a white shirt, where the black upper anchors and the print reads as a detail rather than a statement. Avoid anything patterned. Size true to length, with a fit that is snug over the instep because of the lace cage. Brush the print dry, clean the smooth panels with a barely damp cloth, and store away from damp so the textured surface does not hold moisture.
Influence
Elephant print is now strong enough to signal Jordan Brand with no logo present, which is a rare thing for a material to achieve. It started here. So did the Jumpman on the tongue, the silhouette of Jordan mid leap with legs split that Peter Moore had him recreate in Bulls gear after seeing a Jacobus Rentmeester photograph shot before the 1984 Olympics. Rentmeester sued Nike over it in 2015 and the Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal in February 2018, finding the images not substantially similar. Wearing Black Cement means wearing the two design decisions the rest of the line was built on.
Construction
Read the 3 as three surfaces. Smooth black panels form the body, the grey elephant print wraps the toe and heel counter, and the midsole carries the Nike Air cushioning that has been part of the line since the Air Jordan 2. A rubber outsole sits below. The print is a textured material, not a graphic, so it collects dust in its cracks and needs a soft dry brush worked gently rather than a wet scrub, which will flatten the texture and dull it permanently. Black panels around it show abrasion as pale marks. Feed the smooth leather occasionally and leave the print alone except for brushing.
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Most asked questions
How we always
Guarantee the best prices?
Luxury marketplace
In luxury marketplaces, prices depend on demand — less popular items sell below retail.
Competition between sellers
Our 5,000+ verified sellers compete with each other, giving you the lowest prices.
Price comparison
We show you price comparisons across sellers so you always get better deals.
Helping sellers, helping you
We help sellers buy smarter inventory, so they can offer you better prices.
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