Two things happened in 2001. The Air Jordan was retroed for the first time (not counting the 1994 re-release), and Michael Jordan was back in the NBA, playing for the Washington Wizards. Tying in perfectly with this, Jordan Brand brought back the original "True Blue" colorway of the AJ 3. The only downside was that this Air Jordan 3 Retro did not feature original "Nike Air" branding, even though it is an original colorway. While this bothered some, it was still a successful release and a popular one for that matter. As the "True Blue" colorway indirectly tied in with his Wizards team colors, it was no surprise to see MJ rocking them on the court. The kicker, he also had rocked a second version, which was slightly different.
Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 3 Retro "True Blue" from the 2001-02 season was modified, featuring copper detailing in place of the traditional red seen on the OG's. As this pair is a player exclusive, it never released in stores. It is highly coveted in the collector world and very hard to come by. Well, if this is a grail of yours and you've always wanted a pair, you're in luck. The Air Jordan 3 Retro "Wizards PE" is officially set to release for the first time ever, as a part of Jordan Brand's Summer 2023 Retro Footwear Lineup. The sneaker will feature OG '88 specs, sans the "Nike Air" branding (sorry). Other than that, it will be identical to MJ's player exclusive pair, complete with copper detailing via the Jumpman logo on the tongue, eyelets towards the toe, and the Jordan branding on the bottom of the outsole.
The Air Jordan 3 Retro Wizards PE is set to release on April 29th, 2023. It will drop at Nike, via the SNKRS app, and at select Jordan Brand retailers worldwide, both online and in-store. Coming in full-family sizing, men's pairs will retail for $210, while kids will come in at $150, $90, and $75, respectively. Check out our Jordan release calendar, and keep it locked to our Twitter andMobile App to stay up to date on future releases.
Air Jordan 3 Retro "Wizards PE"
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In this article
Steve Jaconetta is the Head of Content based out of Connecticut. An encyclopedia for sneaker releases, he's covered the industry for over fifteen years. His stops have included Sole Collector, Complex, and StockX, to name a few. He considers the Air Jordan 11 Concord the greatest sneaker of all time and has a strong affection for 80s pop culture. Email: steve@soleretriever.com
