Jordan Brand turns a lump of Christmas coal into the starting point for the Air Jordan 3 Not Nice. The effect comes from the finish on the leather. Fine cracks break up the dark upper and let Elemental Gold show through, especially across the broad side panels. Smooth black sections around the eyelets and collar frame that texture, while Challenge Red threads through the black elephant print at the toe and heel.
SNEAKERS
Those overlays sit where Tinker Hatfield placed them on the original Air Jordan 3 in 1988. The red makes the pattern look like embers around the edges of the shoe, carrying the idea from the cracked leather into one of the AJ3’s most familiar details. An aged finish on the midsole continues the effect below, with the Air unit visible at the heel. Fir green sits on the outsole beneath the forefoot, where it stays out of sight until the shoe turns over.
The colorway takes its name from the “Not Nice” embroidery tucked beneath the Nike Air heel tab. The insoles carry the joke further. Team names appear crossed out, with short notes alongside them and “Checked It Twice” printed beneath a Jumpman. The 1986 Boston Celtics are on the list. Jordan scored 63 points against Boston in Game 2, setting an NBA playoff record in a series the Celtics swept. The 1991 Detroit Pistons appear too. Detroit had knocked Chicago out of the playoffs three years running before the Bulls swept the Pistons on their way to their first championship.
The 1989 Cleveland Cavaliers entry connects the shoe to another November release. Jordan hit the series winner over Craig Ehlo in Game 5 wearing the black and red Air Jordan 4. That Air Jordan 4 Bred comes back November 27 with black nubuck, Fire Red and Cement Grey accents, and Nike Air branding at the heel.
The Not Nice comes in a red box with a green bow and a spare set of red laces. Its Christmas companion, the kids’ Air Jordan 3 “Santa,” takes its colors from Santa’s suit, with University Red leather, fuzzy black trim around the ankle and a gold Jumpman at the heel. It also has something to find inside. The sockliner borrows artwork from a 1985 Nike Christmas ad featuring the Air Jordan 1 “Chicago.” The two pairs arrive on the same day, with the “Santa” available in grade school, preschool and toddler sizes.
The Air Jordan 3 Not Nice releases November 21, 2026, in men’s sizing for $215.
Name: Air Jordan 3 Not Nice
Colorway: Black/Challenge Red/Off Noir/Elemental Gold
SKU: IF4396-001
Price: 215 USD
Release Date: November 21
Available at: Nike and select retailers
