The Iconic Jordan 3 UNC Sneakers

The Jordan 3 UNC is a retro sneaker that was first released in 1994. It had a black and white upper and UNC logos on the tongue, heel, and sides. If you are interested in learning what exactly a Jordan 3 UNC is and where the name originated, read on.

The Jordan Brand Was Created in 1984

The Jordan brand had already been around for two years and had released many successful models when, in 1986, the Air Jordan 3 was released in North Carolina. It came with a black and red upper and lots of intriguing details. These shoes were very well received by fans and athletes alike, which made Nike keep improving on this shoe. Michael Jordan himself had spoken with his product managers about how he liked the colors used in the first release of the Air Jordan 3.

The Jordan 3 UNC Was Inspired by Marty Melchionne

One of these product managers was Marty Melchionne, and he decided that he wanted to take things one step further than Michael Jordan asked. He wanted to create a University of North Carolina version of Michael's shoe. MJ ended up signing off on the UNC edition of his signature sneaker because the manager promised him that he would still be wearing the design if he was still playing for UNC. So, the Jordan 3 UNC was born!

The Initial Design

The design came with a black and white upper and many small details representing the University of North Carolina. These included navy blue boxes on the heel with UNC written inside, red and white laces, and an embossed logo on the midsole. The details were added to ensure fans knew that these were official UNC Jordan 3s.

The Player Exclusive Jordan 3 UNC Release

With only 250 pairs, the Jordan 3 UNC debuted in 2018 as an exclusive sneaker issued to Jordan brand friends and family and North Carolina university athletes. The iconic sneaker featured patent synthetic leather on the upper and outsole with the signature elephant print on the mudguard.

The company then developed a lighter blue color scheme for the shoe for March Madness. The design also included the UNC logo on the heel of the shoe, an embossed Jumpman logo, and UNC text above it in gold foil. The right shoe's tongue reads Basketball, while the left reads UNC. Some pairs have ended up on resale platforms like eBay.

UNC Jordan 3 Returns in 2020

The Nike Air Jordan 3 surfaced again in 2020 but with a different design. The UNC embroidery and tags in the PE version were not there. Instead, shoppers got the Jumpman embroidery on the outside of the tongue and Air Jordan on the inside. You can find these sneakers, with their amazing technology and design, on eBay.