[Update 20 Feb 2023] Official images for one of the three upcoming colorways, the Nike Ja 1 “Scratch”, have emerged. We get a closer look at the upcoming pair, with the highlight being the animal scratches on the Swoosh, toe box and midsole, akin to Morant’s predator like playstyle and beastly dunks. Take a gander via the top slider above. Slated for a release on 1st April, the upcoming Nike Ja 1 “Scratch” will retail at US$110.

Ja Morant hasn’t stopped impressing since we last wrote about him. Amidst a flurry of posterising dunks, chase-down blocks and other highlight-worthy moments, he has continued to average 27 points a night with an additional 8.3 assists per game.

In addition, Morant came third in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game starters’ votes for the Western Conference, only behind Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic. Raking in his second All-Star appearance, expect to see Ja dazzle Salt Lake City come 17th February, presumably in his new signature Nike Ja 1s.

Having previously seen the “Day One” and its PE versions before, Morant and Nike showcased three new colorways during an interview for the new line of basketball shoes. Dubbed “Scratch”, “Chimney” and “Trivia”, this effectively means a total of five colorways should debut together come April this year. Notably, the previously-leaked “Phantom” colorway was not included.

Built for Nike Basketball’s “first Gen Z signature athlete”, the Ja 1 is designed on three overarching principles: Dynamic Lockdown, Responsive Ride and Support for Landing. All three attribute to Morant’s aggressive and high-flying playstyle, while also providing the right amount of comfort and grip to enable Ja’s takeoff on the rims.

The most visually-appealing out of the three new colorways has to be the “Scratch”. Paying tribute to the Memphis Grizzlies’ early days, The upper comes dressed in a bright turquoise while crimson red accentuates the sock liner and inner lining. Black and white scratch marks highlight the shoe’s design, covering parts of the upper, lateral Swoosh logo and midsole that brings out the beast within Morant.

The “Chimney”, as seen on the All-Star on his Christmas day game, takes on a purple makeover with a gradial descent into a lighter shade of teal on the midsole. Owing to his now-famous quote from last year, the left foot reads “CLIMB UP THE CHIMNEY” while the right states “WE AIN’T DUCKING NO SMOKE,” reinforcing Ja’s commitment and personalization of his signature shoes.

Finally, the “Trivia” has a much more intimate touch to it. While it is set to be a PE, short for Player Exclusive, the color scheme on this one is inspired by board games that Morant and his family enjoyed throughout his life. Adoring the midfoot panel are common questions about Morant imprinted onto the shoe in various colors, making it a fun piece of “Trivia” that Ja can take to the hard court.

While exact release dates for each pair have yet to be disclosed, we can expect them to start hitting Nike and select retailers’ shelves starting from April this year, at a RRP of US$110.

Images courtesy of Nike and Complex.

In other sneaker-related news, check out a new colorway of the A Ma Maniére x Nike Air Ship.