The Air Jordan 3 gets a lot of love from casual fans and aficionados worldwide. The brainchild of the “Michael Jordan” of sneaker design — Tinker Hatfield. The AJ3 was the pair that solidified His Airness’ relationship with Nike.

Reminiscent of the “Black Cement” from 1994, save for the iconic grayscale pattern, swapping it out with a more realistic take on the elephant’s epidermal layer. It carries an aged aesthetic with rich textures and earth-tone colors, artfully contrasted by the tumbled black leather. This natural look is further complemented by the Fossil Stone shade on the tongue, collar and eyestay panels; only broken by the rush of orange on the underside of the tongue, the Jumpman, the eyestays, and the rear traction pad. The insoles gives nod to the Desert Elephant’s predecessor through an archaic artwork that’s also printed on the face on the shoebox.

Jordan Brand has adopted a more lifestyle-focused take with its releases, but we love them all the more for it.

If you came here to see a different take on the Black Cement, have a first look at its brother from another mother — the Air Jordan 1 Retro High “White Cement”.