Jordan III

While Michael was certainly embarrassing defenders many times over by this stage of his still young career, the III truly gave birth to the mystique of “Air Jordan.” As evidenced by his now famous free throw line leap to win the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, it’s the III and its elephant hide paneling that has emerged to be most iconic. Whether in white or the more dramatic black colorway, the III has gone on to serve as not only a performance innovation, but also a fashion statement the world over, some twenty years later.