Strapped styling units the Jordan Tatum 5 aside from the pack
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“Having a strap” is among the many highest compliments a basketball competitor can obtain.
At any stage — from rec leagues and AAU to the NCAA, WNBA and NBA — it means you’re a knockdown sniper from wherever on the court docket. For a shooter, it’s the apex.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum — an elite three-level scorer with All-NBA footwork and fluidity — has figuratively had a strap since averaging 26 factors per contest as a highschool sophomore within the St. Louis space.
In a literal sense, he could have a strap for the primary time on his newest signature sneaker, the Jordan Tatum 5.
“I wanted to take a different route,” Tatum informed Andscape. “I looked towards some of my favorite shoes when I was younger. Some of them had a strap, which was very important to me.”
Very necessary and visibly totally different.
Jayson Tatum sporting the Jordan Tatum 5 “Sunrise.”Jordan Brand
Not solely is the Jordan Tatum 5 the primary strapped sneaker for the six-time NBA All-Star, however it’s a pointy pivot for a signature line that’s gaining widespread reputation.
“He had an ask early on in the process,” Tony Hardman, Jordan design director for basketball footwear, informed Andscape relating to the NBA champion’s request for the unconventional design element.
“We listen to the athlete,” Hardman stated. “Then we’ll show it to the kids and see what they think.”
For sneaker followers of a sure age, straps have lengthy offered each type and attempt lockdown, bridging the hole from Bo Jackson’s 1987 Nike Air Trainer to Kevin Durant’s 2011 Nike KD IV.
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In the favored Jordan Tatum collection, straps revive a misplaced artwork that indicators nostalgia and off-court attraction to as we speak’s children.
“It’s not loud, bulky or adding a bunch of weight,” stated Hardman, who experimented with varied purposes and pathways to good the strap on the Tatum 5. “Early on, we had a flap and a D-ring. We even had straps in different places earlier on.”
Hardman stated intensive testing went into the Tatum 5’s strap to make sure no scorching spots, pinching or bunching occurred.
The Jordan Tatum 5 “Sunset” is about to launch this fall. Jordan Brand
A clean, sharp type defines the Tatum line and its namesake star. Adding a midfoot strap enhances lockdown with out cluttering the aesthetic.
“As the conversations progressed about function, that was the next progression,” Tatum stated.
Ultimately, Hardman and Tatum landed on a strapped type that was nostalgic in concept, however completely authentic in its execution.
The low-profile dynamic strap supplies a smooth, comfortable match, wrapping tightly underneath the tongue for enhanced lockdown. On prime, a textured higher provides a singular design twist to the favored sneaker line.
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“There’s a really subtle, tactile raised finish,” Tatum stated. “It’s going back to sophistication, an interesting feel that makes you want to engage with it, and it’s super functional.”
Function is the calling card for each the Tatum franchise and the sports-focused course of Jordan Brand’s basketball division.
From the Air Jordan 41 to the Jordan Triangle, the brand new regime on the Jumpman is much less involved about crossover attraction off the court docket and extra decided to dominate on the hardwood.
The Jordan Tatum 5 incorporates a dynamic utility strap alongside a 10-millimeter forefoot Air Zoom unit. The sneaker balances HART 2.0 outsole traction with ballistic mesh vents throughout the higher. In sensible phrases, these options are designed to supply a safe match, responsive cushioning, dependable grip and improved airflow throughout action.
The Jordan Tatum 5 options forefoot Zoom Air cushioning and HART 2.0 traction.Jordan Brand
“We tried to make it a performance beast,” Hardman stated. “There’s no break-in time. His shoe has kind of become known as the hooper’s hooper shoe. We stand by that.”
In latest years, the Jordan Tatum line has gained endorsement throughout arenas. Players of all positions — from 7-foot-3 middle Aday Mara on the University of Michigan to 6-foot wing Gabriela Jaquez at UCLA — wore Jordan Tatums whereas slicing down nets in April as NCAA basketball nationwide champions.
“I think it’s a favorite because they just don’t have to think too much about it,” Hardman stated. “It’s no frills. They know what to expect from the shoe.”
This reputation extends to the skilled ranks. The Tatum 4 is probably the most worn Jordan Brand basketball shoe within the WNBA and the tenth most performed mannequin general, in line with Colendri, a sneaker database that tracks which sneakers gamers put on in video games.
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard shoots in her Jordan Tatum 4 competitor unique.Mark Blinch/Getty Images
Colendri notes the Jordan Tatum collection is exclusive, as {many professional} gamers not solely put on the most recent mannequin from the Celtics star but additionally maintain earlier fashions in rotation.
Last campaign, whereas taking part in for the Denver Nuggets, Tim Hardaway Jr. frequently wore the Jordan Tatum 3 in varied colorways, alternating them with pairs of the Jordan Tatum 1.
A complete of 20 NBA gamers wore the Tatum 4 through the 2025-26 campaign. Perhaps probably the most notable was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle; the previous NBA Rookie of the Year laced up the signature sneaker 67 occasions throughout his sophomore marketing campaign.
Castle’s loyalty to the shoe and his NBA Finals look final campaign earned the rising star his personal Jordan Tatum 4 competitor unique.
Castle surveys the court docket in his Jordan Tatum 4 competitor unique through the 2026 NBA Finals.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
In addition to Castle, different execs, together with Orlando Magic ahead Paolo Banchero and Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, have debuted Jordan Tatum competitor exclusives on the court docket.
Jordan Brand-sponsored faculty packages — together with the Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines males’s basketball groups, in addition to the UCLA Bruins girls’s roster — have gained nationwide titles sporting Jordan Tatum roster exclusives.
Tatum, a former faculty star at Duke, has confirmed beneficiant in approving roster and competitor exclusives for his signature line, usually sporting them on court docket throughout NBA video games.
In a shocking twist, Tatum’s faculty rival — the North Carolina Tar Heels — has adopted the Jordan Tatum collection.
“I think it’s cool having a shoe that other players want to wear — to tell their own story and see it come to life,” Tatum stated.
Still, the primary batch of tales belong to Tatum.
The Jordan Tatum 5 “Sunset” incorporates a nod to the St. Louis arch on the heel.
The Jordan Tatum 5, which works on sale in full-family sizing on September 24 in China forward of a later international launch, debuts in “Sunrise” and “Sunset” colorways impressed by Boston, the place he’s spent his complete skilled profession.
Each installment of the Jordan Tatum 5 incorporates a heel body impressed by the St. Louis arch to supply stability. The design element is a nod to Tatum’s birthplace and his No. 0 jersey.
While earlier Jordan Tatum pairs used contrasting panels for competitor exclusives, the Tatum 5’s smooth, molded higher permits for numerous supplies and therapy, increasing the design roster’s storytelling prospects.
“We’re in a different space with the upper finishing, so we can do a lot of things maybe we couldn’t do on past models,” Hardman stated. “The All-Star is really exciting. Each [colorway] has its own story. They all feel vastly different, but in a very simple silhouette.”
From retail releases to varsity colorways, the Jordan Tatum 5 is anticipated to launch in dozens of types throughout all ranges of action this campaign.
Jayson Tatum has emerged as Jordan Brand’s longest-tenured lively signature athlete. He will proceed taking part in in his newest mannequin whereas test-driving exclusives and approving particulars for its successor, the Jordan Tatum 6.
“He’s always involved,” Hardman stated. “[Ideas] come straight from him. He’s contributing. He’s actually making decisions.”
From preliminary sketches to ultimate changes, Tatum drove the event of his newest signature shoe — proper all the way down to his shock request for a strap.
“It’s something I’m extremely proud of and excited about,” Tatum stated.
Liner Notes
Additional reporting by Vinciane Ngomsi.
Ian Stonebrook is a tradition, sports activities, and music author based mostly in Austin, TX. For a intelligent second line, say what up or discover him on a basketball court docket.
