Nike Sold the Air Jordan 3 "Tinker" on Snapchat

The 30th anniversary celebration of the iconic Air Jordan 3 was in full swing over the long weekend at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. We saw an unreleased version of the AJIII in Matte Black/Navy, an Interscope Records custom version of the recently retroed “Black Cement” AJIII, a custom from The Shoe Surgeon which drew inspiration from the Justin Timberlake AJIII, a LaMarcus Aldridge PE of the BCIII, and a Microsoft Xbox One X x Air Jordan 3 giveaway contest. But what was probably the surprise of the weekend was the launch of the upcoming Air Jordan 3 “Tinker” via Snapchat.

Snapchat, trying to keep pace with competitor Instagram, performed better than expected in recent earnings reports and has also launched its own line of merch in attempts to stay relevant. This weekend, they built a custom World Lens with Nike to commemorate MJ’s famous free throw line dunk with a detailed digital model sculpted from NBA 2K models. Once users spotted the lens’s QR code, they could pull up the life-size Jordan and tap the screen to change the photo into a black and white version where MJ is wearing the “Tinkers.” The actual drop occurred at a party where a QR code was revealed on a basketball backboard allowing users to purchase the sneakers on the spot.

Let us know if you were one of the lucky people in LA that got your hands on the Air Jordan 3 “Tinker” early over the weekend. For those who are waiting for a general release, Nike’s SNKRS app will release the sneaker on March 24 via Draw for $200 USD. To learn more about the AJ3, check out this Tinker Hatfield interview.