Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide
Updated: 1 August 2026
About the release
Jordan Brand is closing summer with one of the more design-heavy Jordan 3 executions of 2026. The AJ3 'Sports Renaissance' is a women's exclusive release built around an asymmetric mismatched design, with old-school athletic apparel as the reference point. Both shoes share a dark Obsidian base, but the accent zones flip between pink / red on the left and blue tones on the right — a proper mismatched build without abandoning the AJ3's core identity. Style code CK9246-400.
The material choices push the shoe further from a standard AJ3 build. Dark Obsidian leather covers most of the upper, with navy elephant print overlays wrapping the toe and heel — those classic AJ3 details remain untouched. But mesh replaces the standard leather paneling around the collar and eyelets, and the tongues run a ribbed, sweatshirt-like textile for that jogger-era athletic feel. The left shoe carries pink and red accents across eyelets, collar, heel, midsole and outsole, and the right shoe shifts those zones into baby blue and darker blue tones. Cream laces are pre-installed to settle the split colour scheme, and Jordan Brand includes additional red and blue lace sets for a more pronounced mismatch.
UK release is Saturday 15 August 2026 for £190 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers. Women's exclusive sizing.
TL;DR – Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' CK9246-400 Release Date, Price & Where to Buy
- UK release date: Saturday 15 August 2026
- Model: Air Jordan 3 Retro (W)
- Colourway: Obsidian / Track Red / Chalk
- Style code: CK9246-400
- UK retail price: £190
- US retail price: $205
- Sizing: Women's exclusive — no men's sizes available
- Where to buy: Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers
- Key details: Dark Obsidian leather upper on both shoes, navy elephant print overlays on toe and heel, mesh collar and eyelet paneling, ribbed sweatshirt-textile tongue, asymmetric mismatched design — LEFT shoe with pink and red accents, RIGHT shoe with baby blue and dark blue accents, red/blue lining and insoles, red/blue outsole traction pods, white Jumpman logos, white 'AIR' heel branding, chalk-finished sole for vintage feel, cream laces pre-installed with red and blue lace sets included
Release date and price
The Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' releases in the UK on Saturday 15 August 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers. UK retail is £190, with US retail set at $205.
This is a women's exclusive release. There are no men's sizes available in this drop. If you usually wear men's, use Nike's women's size guide to convert. Given the asymmetric design and the wider AJ3 momentum this year, expect solid SNKRS demand from both women's-exclusive collectors and the wider AJ3 audience.
Design and details
The AJ3 has spent 2026 in one of its strongest years in a while — the Love Letter, the True Blue re-run, and now the Sports Renaissance all landing within months of each other. Where recent AJ3s have leaned on heritage nostalgia, the 'Sports Renaissance' pushes in the opposite direction, using the silhouette as a canvas for a design concept rather than a straight reissue.
Asymmetric mismatched design
Both shoes share a dark Obsidian leather base, but the accent zones split between two palettes. The left shoe carries pink and red accents across the eyelets, collar, heel, midsole and outsole. The right shoe shifts those same zones into baby blue and darker blue tones. The mismatched approach is subtle enough that the pair still reads as one shoe from a distance, but pointed enough to land properly on foot. Cream laces come pre-installed to soften the split, but the box includes red and blue lace sets for anyone wanting a more obvious mismatched look.
Non-standard material mix
The material changes are where the shoe genuinely diverges from a standard AJ3 build. Mesh paneling replaces standard leather around the collar and eyelet zone — on the left shoe in pink, on the right in baby blue nylon mesh. The tongues are constructed from a ribbed textile with a sweatshirt-like texture, giving the top of the shoe an athletic jogger-era feel that ties directly into the 'Sports Renaissance' concept. It's a proper material rework rather than just a colour update.
Retained elephant print and midsole
The AJ3's most iconic design details stay intact. Navy elephant print overlays wrap the toe and heel in the same tonal register as the Obsidian upper, keeping the shoe unmistakably an AJ3 even with everything else that's been changed. The sculpted midsole shape carries over untouched, finished in a chalk tone that adds a vintage character rather than reading as bright white.
Unifying details
Some details deliberately match across both shoes to hold the pair together visually. White Jumpman logos and white 'AIR' heel branding land in the same places on left and right, giving the pair one consistent detail from side to side. Red and blue also carry through to the lining, insoles and outsole traction pods — so from underfoot up, the mismatched palette runs deep rather than just sitting on the surface.
Chalk-finished sole
The midsole and outsole both carry a chalk finish — an intentional aged look that gives every step a vintage feel from box. It's the same treatment applied across several recent Jordan retros, and it lands well here because the muted sole tone lets the mismatched colour accents on the shoe pop harder.
Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' images
Credit: Nike
Jordan's 'Renaissance' era and the mismatched pair
The 'Sports Renaissance' name isn't accidental. Old-school athletic apparel — ankle-scrunched joggers, ribbed sweatshirt tongues, contrast-panel training kits — has been quietly making its way back into mainstream fashion after a decade of dominance in the mid-2010s. The AJ3 'Sports Renaissance' uses those references as its whole design brief, translating the athletic apparel language into a sneaker build. The ribbed sweatshirt-textile tongue is arguably the clearest visual pull.
Mismatched Jordan pairs have appeared repeatedly across the recent Jordan Brand catalogue, and this one is a properly considered execution. Rather than doing the mismatch as a loud statement, the palette split lives mostly in the smaller details — eyelets, collar, midsole and outsole zones — while the shared Obsidian base and shared elephant print hold the pair together. It reads as intentional design rather than gimmick.
Alongside the Love Letter (June 2026) and the returning True Blue, the AJ3 has quietly built one of the stronger years in its recent history. Where a lot of AJ3 executions can feel formulaic, the 'Sports Renaissance' is one of the model's more experimental releases in a while.
Where to buy
The Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' releases on Saturday 15 August 2026 for £190 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers. Women's exclusive sizing. Browse the full Jordan 3 collection and the wider Jordan Brand archive on Side Kicks.
FAQ
When is the Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' UK release date?
The Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' releases on Saturday 15 August 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers.
How much does the Air Jordan 3 'Sports Renaissance' cost in the UK?
UK retail price is £190. US retail is $205.
What is the style code for the AJ3 'Sports Renaissance'?
The style code is CK9246-400. The full colourway is Obsidian / Track Red / Chalk.
Does the 'Sports Renaissance' come in men's sizes?
No. This is a women's exclusive release. There are no men's sizes available in this drop. If you usually wear men's, you can use Nike's women's size guide to convert — typically 1.5 sizes larger than your women's size.
Are the left and right shoes different?
Yes. This is an asymmetric mismatched pair. Both shoes share a dark Obsidian base, but the accent zones split — pink and red on the left shoe across eyelets, collar, heel, midsole and outsole; baby blue and darker blue on the same zones on the right shoe. Cream laces are pre-installed to soften the split, but red and blue lace sets are also included in the box for a more pronounced mismatched look.
Why is the design called 'Sports Renaissance'?
The design references old-school athletic apparel — particularly the jogger and tracksuit aesthetic — as its core visual language. The ribbed sweatshirt-textile tongue, mesh collar paneling and mismatched accent colours all reflect that athletic-apparel-inspired look. The 'Renaissance' framing signals a return of those athletic references into mainstream design.
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