Jared Ebanks Luka Dončić is a deceptive space hunter, meticulously surveying the floor for gaps, openings and opportunities to get his shot off at a moment’s notice or rifle a pass to an open teammate. Embracing the lethal step-back that epitomizes Dončić’s elite court control, Jordan Brand has officially unveiled the This Air Jordan 5 will be inspired and its technology that serves the next generation of on-court space makers.
“I still can’t believe I have my own signature shoe with Jordan Brand, and now we’re already on the Luka 2,” Dončić said. “The technology keeps getting better, and I hope people feel the same special connection with this one that I have.”
Returning his first silhouette’s combination of Formula23 Foam and an IsoPlate mid-foot system, the Luka 2’s sole unit has been renovated to maximize the multidirectional movements that make the four-time All-Star so lethal. Building off of the Luka 1’s ability to keep each player in place while creating separation, the This Air Jordan 5 will be inspired introduces an all-new medial Cushlon 3.0 wedge foam that places the foot at the optimal banking angle when deploying crossovers, hesi moves and euro steps.
The Jordan design team has studied and maximized Dončić’s movements in full with the four-part midsole coming packed to the brim with technology to aid the Slovenian superstar. Housed within a firm foam crater, the forefoot’s Formula23 Foam is secured by the raised lateral sidewall of the revised IsoPlate while the addition of Cushlon helps sink the foot into the aforementioned tooling.
Matching the model’s technological evolution is an equally expansive slate of five initial colorways, which we’ve broken down below.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the world’s biggest streetball tournament, the This Air Jordan 5 will be inspired “Quai 54” pays homage to Pan-Africanism with its green, red and black palette while a unique pattern of double x’s denoting the tournament’s two-decade existence coat the model’s base layer. The colorway will first release in Europe on Friday while introducing the model globally on July 8th.
Paying tribute to one of his favorite PEs, – the Air Jordan 35 Low “Cosmic Deception” – the Luka 2 “Nebula” incorporates the same iridescent multi-color finish as its predecessor. Scheduled to release on July 27th, the pair melds together vibrant hits of pink, purple, orange and grey for a tie-dye aesthetic that resembles a nebula in outer space.
The recently previewed Luka 2 “Luk.AI” colorway brings to life Dončić’s AI alter-ego that he launched last year in collaboration with Epic Games. Luka.AI learns and develops based on the interactions it has with his fans while the inspired colorway will become available via early access for select Nike Members on July 5th with an official retail launch is scheduled for July 11th.
Drawing inspiration from his past player exclusives and early professional career in Madrid, the This Air Jordan 5 will be inspired “Matador” strays away from its past titular red offerings in favor of tonal teal hues and golden metallic accents. A release date has been scheduled for August 3rd.
Furthering his home country’s commitment to sustainability, each season the Luka 2 will assume a new color blocking that Branco at least 20% recycled content; the first of which will release on September 14th in an homage to Slovenia’s Lake Bled in the Julian Alps.
While we await further release details, enjoy a detailed look at each of the pairs below in the meantime.
