Elephant print gets a new look on the forthcoming Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘Racer Blue’

We all know the story of the Air Jordan 3.

After a lukewarm response to the second iteration of his signature model with Nike and the departure of two key designers, Michael Jordan was considering leaving the Swoosh himself in the mid-to-late 1980s.

The bigwigs in Beaverton tasked a young architect named Tinker Hatfield, then fairly new to the sneaker world, with designing the shoe that would keep His Airness with the brand.

No pressure, young man.

Hatfield’s design is now the stuff of legend, widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball shoes, and greatest sneakers, of all time.

The Air Jordan 3 was both groundbreaking and a thing of beauty. It ushered in the use of tumbled leather uppers, introduced the now-iconic Jumpman logo, came in a 5/8 cut rather than the high-top design favorited at the time, and also featured a head-turning elephant print pattern.

Experimenting with different materials never before seen on athletic footwear, Hatfield wrapped the heel in what he referred to as “elephant hide” on the design sketches.

It of course made it into production, and the rest is history. Elephant print has graced countless Nike and Jordan designs — some of which have been hits, others not so much — over the course of the past three and a half decades since the original release of the Air Jordan 3.

And now, thanks to Jordan Brand continually pushing the envelope, we’ve got elephant print on its original canvas but in a new form: reflective.

The Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘Racer Blue’ brings back the classic silhouette with those supple tumbled leather uppers and hits of Racer Blue at the mudguards, lace guides, ankles and logo detailing.

The heels and toes are wrapped in that familiar elephant print pattern, albeit in a darker hue than we’re accustomed to seeing it, and with 3M detailing to really let them shine in the right light.

Rock the elephant print in a new way when the Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘Racer Blue’ drops in Men’s and Kids’ sizing on 7/10 at finishline.com and in stores via mobile app reservation.

– Available at FinishLine.com or in select stores via mobile app reservation on 7/10.

– To enter for a reservation of the Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘Racer Blue’ in Men’s sizing, head to our mobile app on Friday, 7/2 at 11am EST. Reservations will close on Tuesday, 7/6 at 10am EST.

– Reserved pairs can be picked up in store.

– STATUS members, redeem your points for more entries.

– No pairs will be sold in stores on 7/10, only at FinishLine.com.

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