The highly anticipated Air Jordan 3 Reimagined will be released in just days! The latest from Michael Jordan’s signature shoe series is a decidedly old-school throwback to one of the most popular sneakers ever sold.
Set to debut in the original "White Cement" colorway, the Air Jordan 3 White Cement Reimagined will feature both the Jordan Jumpman logo on the tongue, and the Nike Air pouch in the heels — two staples of the shoe line that appeared for the first time on the original Air Jordan 3 design, released 35 years ago in 1988.
The AJ3s have been re-released several times since then, but what makes this “White Cement” colorway unique is a slight yellow tinge meant to give the shoe a subtly vintage look. The intent seems to be a shoe that has been sitting untouched in someone’s basement for over three decades but is in otherwise perfect condition.
The new Air Jordan 3's will be available to purchase on March 11th, 2023.
With such a highly anticipated release, and quantity likely to be in short supply, you may be wondering what the chances of copping a pair of the Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” Reimagined really are.
Let's take a look at a recent graphic from Google Trends to gauge how popular this new iteration of Jordans might be.
Set to retail at a cool $210, the best way to grab the new Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” sneaks is through Nike’s SNKRS app.
Released in 2015, the app was designed to combat internet bots front-running the most exclusive releases, and bulk-buying them for re-sale purposes. The app operates like a raffle system, giving customers a fair shot at scoring one of the SWOOSH’s rare releases, like the new AJ3s.
While the SNKRS App has been designed to create an even playing field for Nike customers looking to buy the hottest new releases, most sole searchers don’t see it that way.
Speaking to this issue directly in a 2021 shareholders presentation, a Nike exec said that their customers should feel like they’ve got an 80% shot of copping a pair from the SNKRS App — but in reality, it’s closer to a 20% chance.
In the same presentation, it was implied that the App receives around 750,000 visitors for new launches.
If previous Air Jordan Reimagined releases are any indication, there will be 500,000 adult pairs of AJ3 “White Cement” Reimagined available when they’re released on March 11th.
Those numbers would suggest that there’s about a 66.67% chance of landing a pair (500k shoes / 750k entrants = 66.67%). In other words for every three customers logging into the SNKRS App on release day, two will be able to purchase the exclusive new release.
Bettors will know those numbers translate to -150 in American odds. Seemingly a pretty good wager.
Oh if it were only that simple… For one, it’s expected some of the supply will be made available to retail stores like Foot Locker (who have their own raffle systems). But more importantly, the SNKRS App itself is fraught with users trying to game the system to boost their chances.
So maybe you’re wondering how you can do the same.
Because the SNKRS App is designed to fight bots trying to buy new releases in bulk using dummy accounts, you need to interact with the app like a real human being would. It is largely believed that the more you use the app, the better chance you have to win.
So you should share news of releases with friends to prove you have real human friends. Sign on using both cellular and Wifi in various locations to show that you’re moving through the world like a real human would. Bathroom break? Check the app on the toilet like a real person would.
Another important tactic is not entering the draw the second it launches. Most launches have a ten-minute window to enter. If you wait at least 3 minutes, you won’t be lumped in with the thousands of automated accounts attempting to storm the system.
Technically, the SNKRS App will only allow you to purchase one pair through their release raffle. But you can try creating multiple accounts or asking friends and family members to sign up and enter the draw on your behalf.
Beware, however, if you do this, do not enter multiple times from the same Wifi network. This is more likely to hurt your chances than help them. Remember you are trying to reduce suspicious activity.
It may seem like a lot of work to the uninitiated, but real ones know the value these kicks hold.
While LeBron James may have surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record earlier this month, we all know that Michael Jordan is still the GOAT. So of course Jordan’s sneakers have got to be the greatest of all time too, right?
The OG Air Jordan 3 debuted in 1988 and were worn by MJ during that year’s dunk competition when he defeated Atlanta Hawks superstar Dominique Wilkins. Scoring a perfect 50 from the judges, Michael took home the competition in the third round, after completing a gravity-defying slam-dunk from the free throw line.
The Jordan 3 was also the first shoe to be promoted in Spike Lee’s “Mars Blackmon” commercial. In the spot, Lee reprises his role from his 1986 film She’s Gotta Have It, and appears alongside MJ, asking him, “what makes you the best player in the universe?” Spike concludes, “it’s got to be the shoes.”
And the legend of MJ’s sneakers will only grow this year when the highly anticipated film Air hits theatres in April. Starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Viola Davis as Jordan’s mom, Air tells the story of Nike’s dogged pursuit of a rookie Michael Jordan in the early-1980s. The shoemaker was struggling at the time. Inking the relatively unknown MJ to a sponsorship deal was their attempt to turn the company around.
No spoilers, but I think we all know how that one turned out.
The high demand for Air Jordans speaks to the immense popularity of the six-time NBA Champion, even two decades after his retirement.
However, it's also a matter of supply and demand. The white cement reimagined release will be in intentionally short supply to drive up demand. What's more, in recent years Nike has drastically reduced the number of independent retailers it works with. This is part of an e-commerce strategy that has paid dividends.
If you aren't able to get the new kicks when they're first released, then you'll likely be paying way more than the initial $210 sticker price. When Air Jordan's sell out, resellers up the price and sell them on 3rd party sites to make a profit.
In late-2022, Nike touted a similar re-release of the Air Jordan 1s. Today, those kicks are selling for over $500.00 on eBay.
Unfortunately, the chances of you copping a pair of new Jordans in person are incredibly low. Once upon a time, it may have been possible to camp out overnight at your local Nike Store in hopes of grabbing the newest release, but those days are long gone.
But if you do live close to a retail store, you may see an offer to reserve the Jordan 3 White Cement on the App in the days prior to the release, so keep an eye out to see if that option becomes available to you.
There have also been some recent instances of surprise drops at random Nike locations. There's no way of knowing when and where this will be, but hey, it's a great excuse to go shopping.
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for IllinoisBet.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with an actual Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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