nike high heels in saudi women wear at work | JA MORANT AND NIKERUN UP THE CHIMNEYWITH THE JA 1

The Ja 1 is designed by Ben Nethongkome, Senior Designer for Nike. Hoopers and sneakerheads will primarily attribute him towards the Nike Kyrie signature line from the Kyrie 4 and beyond, but he’s also contributed to recent Nike KD models and special projects like the Cryptokicks iRL. With Ja Morant, he gets to start from scratch, establishing a design language with the athlete and creating the foundation from the get-go. Ben describes Ja’s approach as opinionated and very “black and white”, which as a creator is paramount to establishing direction.
 
The Ja 1 MSRP is comparable to a Dunk or an Air Force 1, but for the money, the Ja 1 delivers a lot more. A forefoot Air Zoom bag, a mid-foot lockdown system, and a zonal cushioning set-up — its a very effective and predictable package that has worked quite well for Nike Basketball given just how loyal NBA players are to shoes with the same engine. Lower MSRP means less to work with, but the simplicity lends quite well to the design as it provides some casual lifestyle sensibility. The low-cut style has also drawn comparisons to Nike Kobes, which by consensus is a compliment.
 
So inside the FedEx Forum locker-rooms, Nike went ahead and revealed special colorways of the Ja 1 signature shoe. A closer look at the “Day One” and its PE counterpart was revealed — the former releasing in April and the latter worn regularly by Ja in games. The “Chimney” is inspired by Ja’s infamous “ain’t duckin’ no smoke” post-game comment and features a hazy, smoke-like graphic on the upper. The Morant family’s love of board games and game night inspired the “Trivia” PE, which is covered in basic questions akin to trivia games. Finally, the “Scratch” takes after the Grizzlies’ roots, applying the signature teal, brown, red, and black when the franchise had its beginnings in Vancouver. There will be more to come.

The launch of Ja Morant’s signature shoe only supports the case that Nike Basketball is at a really healthy junction. In addition to the arsenal of signature footwear, the GT Series — particularly the GT Cut — has been a mighty addition to the portfolio. The City Edition jerseys, since its introduction in 2017, has continued to connect performance and lifestyle with thoughtful, nuanced design touches that only encourage rooting for the home team.
 
It is worth noting that the Nike Basketball signature athlete roster is growing some stray white hairs on the beard. LeBron James is nearing forty, KD is approaching is mid-30s, Giannis is neither old nor young, and there are no signature guards in the line-up. Ja does provide a much-needed balance to the group, especially when considering all the young signature athletes currently signed with competing brands. But as stated earlier, timing’s everything, and Ja is waiting at the top of the chimney.
 
 
The Nike Ja 1 is set to release in April 2023.