When Tinker Hatfield was designing some of the most iconic Air Jordans, MJ’s love for cars was a constant source of inspiration. Like MJ, Luka Doncic‘s affinity for performance cars now comes to life on his signature line. The Luka 3 has been unveiled just in time for the playoffs, and its design is centered around Luka’s famous ability to change his speed on the court. Nobody in the NBA is better at playing at their own pace than Luka, and the IsoPlate technology ensures he can do that at the highest level.
The upper material is inspired by tires burning rubber, and the webbing mimics a seatbelt. The car influence continues to the outsole with a herringbone tire tread design and nubs on the perimeter, inspired by tire vent sprues. Other highlights include full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam, “77” on the medial side of each shoe, and “Sedeminsedemdeset,” which means 77 in Slovenian. The aforementioned IsoPlate was developed by Jordan Brand specifically for Luka and wraps up the medial and lateral forefoot to keep players contained and stable over the footbed.
Both of the first colorways follow the car theme. “Midnight Racer” is an ode to Luka’s late-night drives home after games, and the “Photo Finish” represents the freeze frame image taken at the finish line of races. The “Midnight Racer” releases on 7/5/2024 in EMEA Only, and the “Photo Finish releases (Early Access) on 7/11/2024, with a wider release on 7/16. Adult sizing is priced at $130, and GS/PS/TD is $100/$80/$60.