When Jordan Brand signed Jayson Tatum in 2019, they knew they had a real baller on their hands. Since then, the guy from St. Louis has been to four NBA All-Star games, made it onto two All-NBA teams, been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, and led the Boston Celtics to another trip to the NBA Finals.
He’s worked hard to get where he is in the NBA, and now it’s time for the Jumpman to show its appreciation with the Jordan Tatum 1 sneaker.
Tatum’s new line is made for the far future of basketball and will let his fans all over the world connect with him in a real way. Tatum says –
“I want people to feel like they can connect to me”
“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.”
The Jordan Tatum 1 is the lightest pair of basketball shoes that Jordan Brand has ever made. Tatum’s success in the NBA is helped by the fact that he can play in any position. With his good handle, he can move the ball up the court.
He is a natural scorer who can hit from mid-range and is getting better at long-range shots. He can also defend almost any position on the floor. So, when Jordan Brand made this new silhouette, they made sure to model it after how versatile his game is.
It had to be strong enough to handle his strong moves and light enough to show off his speed and agility on the floor.
The sneaker is built around a TPU frame that is both light and strong. This gives Tatum and other customers the structure and torsional stability they need to make hard cuts, defensive slides, and tomahawk jams.
Base layers are made of breathable mesh knit and have padded collars around the ankles for extra support. A Zoom Air bag without a cage is stuffed into the forefoot of the midsole unit. This bag gives ballers responsive energy return on the court.
There are a lot of special touches that hint at his life. The words “I Just Didn’t Quit” are tattooed on his calf, and the coordinates for his hometown of St. Louis are on the TPU piece.
“Living Proof” is written around the edges of the rubber, which is a reference to his friendship with Bradley Beal and how he helped Tatum get to the league and become a pro. On the heels is a “0,” which is his uniform number. His signature “JT” logo is on the tongues, and the name of his son, “Deuce,” is on three of the first four launch colorways.
The first versions of the Jordan Tatum 1 that will be available to the public are the “Zoo” version, which has wild tiger and leopard prints to represent Tatum taking Deuce to public animal facilities, the “St. Louis” version, which has retro Cardinals colors and the name of the street where he grew up, Archer Ave., on the tongues, and the “Barbershop” version, which pays homage to his viral warm-up video of calling himself “Top 5” whenever
Tatum’s line will start on April 7, 2023, with the “Zoo” colorway in full family sizes. The remaining parts will be released in April, May, and June. Prices are as follows: adults pay $120 USD, kids in elementary school pay $90 USD, kids in pre-school pay $75 USD, and toddlers pay $55 USD.
Tatum joins Michael Jordan, Zion Williamson, Luka Doni, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook as the seventh signature basketball player for the Jumpman.
