Having your own signature shoe has always been seen as one of the top milestones in the NBA. Well, two emerging superstars have just reached the ‘shoe tier’.
Presenting, the Jordan Tatum 1 and Nike Ja 1.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Grizzlies’ Ja Morant have both received one of the highest personal accolades a basketball player can have – getting their own shoe line. And it’s not that long before they’ll be hitting the shelves.
In what looks to be a move towards promoting the next generation of NBA superstars, Nike with Morant and Jordan Brand with Tatum are releasing multiple colourways that are set to hit Australian retailers in a couple months time.
The two players have already started showcasing their signature shoes in recent NBA games and the NBA All-Star game that just passed earlier this week.
The exhibition match was the debut of the ‘Jordan Tatum 1’ and the Celtics’ leading scorer delivered a strong advertisement for them, dropping an All-Star game record 55-points along with being awarded the game’s MVP.
Have the Jordan Tatum 1 shoes been released?
The wait is over for NBA fans. It will arguably be the most anticipated shoe release of the year and massive Jordan Tatum 1 news landed in early April.
Different colourways will also hit shelves for release in the coming months; three additional variations at this stage.
The released ‘Zoo’ Tatum 1 is an inspiration because he likes taking his son, Deuce, to the zoo.
“I want people to feel like they can connect to me,” Tatum has said.
“I remember being a kid, walking into the store, and looking for the signature shoes of my favorite players. The moment I saw the shoe or put the shoe on, I felt like I was in sync and closer to them in a way. So, I want this shoe to be a bridge between my fans and me to bring us closer together.”
On that note, the retro colours of the ’St. Louis’ Tatum 1 pays homage to Tatum’s hometown baseball team, the ‘Pink Lemonade’ Tatum 1 is his favourite drink, and the ‘Barbershop’ Jordan Tatum 1 is the feeling Tatum has fresh off a haircut.
How much is a pair of Jordan Tatum 1s?
Nike AU has the Celtics star’s first release – ‘Zoo’ – retailing for $180 AUD and $130 for kids.
Have the Nike Ja 1 shoes been released?
The Nike Ja 1s are expected to be dropping sometime this month (April). You can expect they’ll be available at Nike, plus other selected retailers.
After the initial release as well, there will be three colourways dropping in the coming months too; the ‘Phantom,’ ‘Cobalt Bliss,’ and ‘Game Royal.’ They’ll all feature special Morant branding and be telling special tales about the rising Grizzlies megastar.
How much are the Nike Ja 1s selling for?
According to many reputable news sources, Ja Morant’s first signature shoe is expected to sell for a retail price of between $90-110 USD ($130-160 AUD); in the common price range for basketball shoes.
Jayson Tatum’s will be slightly more expensive because it’s a Jordan Brand sneaker.
What has been the initial conversation surrounding the signature shoes?
For the most part, basketball fans are eager to have another two rising superstars get their own shoe lines as Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and New Orleans Pelicans’ powerhouse Zion Williamson both got their signature shoes last year.
However, when the Jordan Tatum 1s were first rumoured and leaked on social media, many fans in the community were quick to critique the design labelling them a “clearance section shoe”.
Tatum spoke openly about those comments and how the leaked images weren’t the real designs. But the tone surrounding them has most certainly changed to a more positive one after their debut in the NBA All-Star game.
On the contrary, Morant’s signature shoe has come under some heat in the past few days after one of the colourways named ‘Midnight’ were announced to sell for a retail price of $400 USD ($585 AUD).
This has left many fans speechless as it is incredibly rare to see a pair of basketball shoes that are from a current player being sold for that amount.
Can Jayson Tatum win the MVP?
To give everyone a bit more context around the Celtics superstar that is once again elevating his game to yet another level this season, Tatum is in the MVP picture.
We recently wrote about Europe’s very real NBA takeover and Serbian sensation Nikola Jokic has been odds-on favourite to win an historic third straight Most Valuable Player award. But 76er Joel Embiid is right in the hunt too.
Fellow Europeans Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic have been the others in top five conversations. While it’s unlikely that Boston’s alpha can make up the ground on Embiid and Jokic, he’s quickly become one of the top dogs in the league. His Celtics were the betting favourites to win the NBA Finals, ahead of Milwaukee, Phoenix and Denver. But the Bucks have since taken that mantle, as we enter the Playoffs.
