Jordan Brand - Basketball / Signature Athlete Division

Role: Senior Footwear Materials Designer

Models covered:

• Zion and Luka Signature Franchises

• Heir Series Franchise

• Specialty inline skus based on Jordan Family Athletes (Pablo Banchero, Yang Shuyu, etc)

• Specialty inline skus for Brand Marketing Moments (NY vs NY, Quai 54, Valentines Day, Lunar New Year, etc)

LUKA FRANCHISE

LUKA 3 - NIKE PRESS RELEASE

April 15th, 2024

• Tuned for creating maximum separation from defenders, the Luka 3 is designed to provide balance to the stop-on-a-dime gameplay of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić. 

• The Luka 3 evolves the Isoplate, a technology specifically developed for Dončić, by widening the lateral outrigger and removing sections of the plate’s sidewall to reduce weight.

• The shoe features full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam for smooth heel-to-toe transition. Together with the Isoplate, the Luka 3 midsole system is designed for decelerating and accelerating, like when moving out of the step-back and attacking the basket.

“Tuned for creating maximum separation from defenders, the Luka 3 is designed to provide balance to the stop-on-a-dime gameplay of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić. 

The Luka 3 evolves the Isoplate, a technology specifically developed for Dončić, by widening the lateral outrigger and removing sections of the plate’s sidewall to reduce weight. The shoe features full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam for smooth heel-to-toe transition. Together with the Isoplate, the Luka 3 midsole system is designed for accelerating out of off-speed transitions, like moving out of the step-back and attacking the basket. 

The shoe allows players to take full advantage of lateral and diagonal movements. The Isoplate produces torsional rigidity to keep the player locked in over the footbed. Cutouts along the lateral toebox include a neoprene-like barrier, allowing the toes to flex just enough on aggressive cuts without forsaking containment.”

“The real-life inspiration for the Luka 3 comes from Dončić’s love for high-performance sports cars. The properties of an elite car — the motor to propel forward, the chasis for control and agility — translated to Luka’s game, where he uses speed and control to his advantage for an offensive arsenal that’s nearly impossible to guard (Part of the shoe's design is inspired by a tire decelerating and accelerating at top speeds). The outsole features a generative herringbone pattern and is inspired by racing-tire traction. Other details are more subtle, such as the pull tabs modeled after the material of seat belts and the wavy striations on the engineered textile upper inspired by high speeds. 

The Luka 3 builds off the performance benefits of the Luka 2 and raises the floor for sustainability throughout the Luka franchise. For the first time, every Luka 3 colorway achieves a Tier-2 sustainability score, meaning each shoe is made with at least 20 percent recycled material by weight.”

ZION FRANCHISE

*Coming soon*

SPECIALTY Color & MaterialS FOR JORDAN FAMILY ATHLETES

*Coming soon*