Jordan 3 Retro SE

This Jordan 3 Retro SE brings winterised materials to the classic AJ3 design, making it both a stylish colourway and a practical shoe that can be worn in all sorts of weather conditions. Its outsole also allows it to withstand tough outdoor situations as it is made from durable rubber in a number of appealing tones. The bulk of its blocky tread patterns are Cement Grey, as are the star-shaped embossments lining the toe, but a darker shade known as Dark Smoke Grey shows up on the oval piece below the forefoot, whose surface is marked with concentric rings to facilitate easy rotations of the foot. Under the heel and the medial edge of the midfoot, the rubber exhibits a more off-white hue, and in its centre, Light Bordeaux Jordan lettering adds a splash of purple underfoot.

Above this, textured off-white rubber with a band of stitching along its top edge caps the toe, but the rest of the midsole is made from lightweight polyurethane. Split into two distinct layers, the midsole is completely cream-coloured along its bottom layer, while the top one is divided down the centre, its front half off-white, its back half Dark Smoke Grey. Another eye-catching accent is created by the see-through window set into the heel of the lower piece of polyurethane. Inside, it houses a pocket of bouncy Air cushioning that provides the wearer with top-quality comfort and support.

On the upper, a panel of premium Archaeo Brown leather with a water-resistant coating covers the main part of the design. While this gives it the look of a sturdy boot, the blend of colours on the other elements soften it to forge a highly appealing lifestyle aesthetic. One of these features is the Fossil Stone suede mudguard that works its way along the flanks and around the toe. Another is the Light Bordeaux mesh that shows up around the collar as the main overlay doesn’t quite reach the topline. This overlay also fails to go all the way to the tongue on the top part of the eyestay, revealing a Fossil Stone area filled with small perforation holes for added breathability. Dark Smoke Grey pieces of TPU arc out of this panel, each one offering an eyelet for the cream-coloured laces to thread through. The Archaeo Brown overlay then returns to form the lower part of the eyestay, its surface dotted with light brown ringlets to secure the laces at the bottom, while the uppermost eyelets are created by pieces of light brown TPU in the front of the collar.

Behind the laces, more Light Bordeaux ballistic mesh can be found on the bottom of the tongue. Its upper half then switches to Fossil Stone so that it can be distinguished more strikingly from the dark mauve Jumpman woven into its centre. This logo has a lighter outline to visually lift it off the surface of the tongue. On the insole, the colour scheme from the tongue has been swapped around so that its rich purple background elevates the Fossil Stone of the Jumpman printed there. The inner lining then delivers added comfort via its fleecy Fossil Stone finish, as does the back of the tongue, whose furry exterior comes in a dark shade of yellow.

Back on the outer, extra overlays cap the toe and the heel in luxurious Dark Smoke Grey suede. Lines of silvery thread ripple in waves across the surface of each one, presenting a sense of fine craftsmanship and an almost mesmerising visual effect. While the toe overlay maintains a low profile, the one on the heel slopes upwards from the midfoot until it reaches the edge of the heel, where it begins to slant downwards before looping low around the back of the foot. This allows plenty of room for the large, cone-shaped heel tab that the AJ3 is renowned for. Thick parallel ridges have been embossed onto the upper part of this moulded tab so that the wearer has something to hold on to when getting the shoe on and off. Meanwhile, rising up out of its lower half is a Dark Smoke Grey Jumpman above the word “Air”. Their smooth charcoal tone stands out powerfully against the creamy white background to conclude the dapper design of this Air Jordan 3.