[Update 15 Dec] The wait is almost over with a release date announced for the Jayson Tatum x Jordan Nu Retro 1. Set to drop on 21st December, the sneaker will be available for purchase via Nike SNKRS and selected retailers. In the meantime, check out the on-feet images on the article slider above.

Back in 2002, the Jordan Brand arm of Nike was still in its nascent stages, having only been founded 4 years prior. In those early days, one of their offerings going into the lifestyle market was the Jordan Nu Retro 1. As the Jumpman continues to soar into the future on the backs of its highly-elite roster of athletes, they revisit their back catalogue to reintroduce some contemporary classics into a new demographic of fans, into a modern perpetually-evolving marketplace.

Leading the charge is none other than Jordan Brand’s very own Jayson Tatum, who seems to be debuting all of the latest in their catalogue like the Air Jordan 37 Low, on top of getting some of the most intriguing PEs like his Air Jordan 36 “Mustang” . For the silhouette’s 20th anniversary, he takes the chance one more to imbed his own story into his shoes.

An obvious callback to the Air Jordan 1 Low, the Nu Retro 1 deviates from its inspiration with its own subtle touches. From the toebox to the tongue, to the overall aesthetic construction of the upper, its forebear’s DNA remains evident. Sans the Swooshes, Nike branding elements are visually-absent, with all but the Jumpman logo on the sides, and the imposing Jordan Wings logo on the lateral indicating the pair’s identity.

Tatum lays his own by way of his PE logo, the “U.City” embroidery on the tip—an homage to his hometown of University City, Missouri; before finishing it off the “98”, his birth year, printed on the heels. The pair is dressed in a red, white, and cream makeup with a dash of the first running through the forefoot of the outsole below.

While no release date has been officially shared at the time of writing, the pair is expected to drop on Nike.com sometime within the year along with a RRP of US$120.

While Taco Jay is expected to have his own signature shoes by Spring 2023, LeBron is on his 20th. Check out the LeBron XX expected to arrive come next season.