Breaking Down the Differences Between the 2018 and 2024 Air Jordan 3 'Black Cement'

Iconic is a word that floats around the sneakerverse all too often, but when referencing the OG colourway, it’s incredibly fitting – and the AJ3 go together like and a championship ring.

Back in 1987, and Michael Jordan were in a make-or-break period for their partnership. MJ was unhappy, especially with his and newer designs. In comes the god of sneaker design, , who was given the design brief and told to ‘do something with it’. Hatfield was fresh off working on the Air Pack, which included the Air Revolution, a new basketball shoe. ‘I jumped on a plane to visit Michael Jordan and get to know him,’ Hatfield recalled. ‘We talked. I realized that he had a good sense of style. He said he wanted a pair of basketball shoes that were comfortable and fresh right out of the box, that didn’t require breaking in.’ Using the midsole of the Air Revolution, softer leather, elephant print and the brand-new Jumpman logo, the Air Jordan 3 was born. ‘I told him, “I hope you like what we came up with,”’ said Hatfield. ‘He grabbed it from me. In five minutes, he was smiling and asking all kinds of questions. Within 20 minutes, the meeting was over, and we had the Air Jordan 3.’

In 2024, we are once again seeing the release of the mythical OG colourway. The last time the AJ3 ‘Black Cement’ hit shelves was in 2018, and while it hasn’t been that long, Jordan Brand have made a couple of noticeable changes.

The OG

The original run in 1988 saw a super successful release, in part because of the design but also of course the marketing and charisma of MJ. After all, the GOAT did debut the ‘Black Cement’ on-court at the NBA All-Star Game that year, racking up some colossal stats and sent the crowd roaring in Chicago Stadium by scoring 40 points and taking eight rebounds, three assists and four steals. While the legend was in action, Nike played commercials featuring the new AJ3s, shining a light on the new Tinker-designed beast. The 1988 Air Jordan 3 ‘Black Cement’ was chef’s kiss and was known for its premium supple tumbled leather and pristine black and grey tones. There have been six ‘Black Cement’ retros in between the OG and 2024. Despite all their efforts though, we don’t think Team Swoosh will ever be able to match the sheer perfection of the OG, but they came pretty close with the 2018 and even closer still with this November’s 2024 release.

The 2018

The years-long period between the first Air Jordan 3 ‘Black Cement’ and the lauded 2018 retro was packed full of highs and lows. There have been six retros of the legendary Air Jordan 3 ‘Black Cement’, including the 2024. Nike went ahead with the first ‘Black Cement’ retro in 1994, which sat on sale shelves. With the first-ever bring back not going to plan, fans had to wait until 2001 to see them return. While that year’s ‘Black Cement’ retro saw a winner, there were a number of other colourways hit stores featuring the new ‘Jumpman’ heel logo, instead of the classic ‘Nike Air’. This then began a ripple effect of strange future re-releases that began in 2008. This time the ‘Black Cement’ was part of the countdown pack that celebrated Jordan Brand’s 23rd anniversary. It featured the new Jumpman logo, and despite being slightly controversial nowadays, was mostly accepted at the time. Although, the 2011 release left sneakerheads wincing, after the upper used a horrendous leather, and the lack of Nike Air on the heel counter was a far cry from the OG. After disappointing fans, 2018 was when Jordan Brand redeemed themselves, making all the right choices for materials, logos and colouring. The upper hosted a luxe af black leather, which made way for deep grey elephant print and period-correct ‘Nike Air’ scripted on the rear. While the shape wasn’t the same as the 1988 version, but is still a welcomed addition to the Jordan Brand lineup. 2018 also marked the AJ3’s thirtieth birthday, making this a special one for the Swoosh history books and widely regarded as the best retro to date.

The 2024

The 2024 iteration launches soon and despite receiving some mixed feedback after the initial pics, we think the changes made compared to the 2018 pair have been epic and bring the colourway even closer to its 1988 version. For the 2024 ‘Black Cement’, there have only been a handful, albeit noticeable, changes. The largest switch up has been the shape, which in recent years has been changed to better reflect that of the 1988. Also in the same vein as OG-esque changes is the grey, which has been lightened to better reflect the original, as opposed to the darker grey accents and elephant print seen on the 2018. The texture on the leather has been another big change that has received mixed feelings from fans, as the highly-regarded 2018 featured a more textured and pebbled leather. The 2024 follows suit from the OG, with a smooth and supple leather. When comparing the ‘Black Cement’ 2018 versus the 2024, it’s difficult to come to a consensus on which is better. Both have their strengths, but the 2024 variation is much closer to the 1988 OG.

The 2024 Air Jordan 3 ‘Black Cement’ will be released on November 23, find out where you can cop .