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Ja Morant has swiftly become one of the most electrifying players in the NBA, and as Nike's first Gen Z signature athlete, he represents a significant investment for the brand. Nike has poured resources into the success of his signature sneaker line, reflecting Morant's rising star power and influence on and off the court. The Nike Ja 1, his debut signature shoe, has been a focal point of Nike's marketing strategy, aiming to capture the essence of Morant's dynamic playstyle and vibrant personality.
Unfortunately, Morant's soaring career faced a significant setback with a season-ending injury in January 2024. This untimely injury has kept him off the court and absent from providing the highlight-reel moments that fans have come to expect from him in his shoes. Despite this, the demand and excitement around Ja Morant’s shoes have remained strong. Nike's continued support and frequent releases of new colorways and designs demonstrate their unwavering commitment to Morant and the success of his sneaker line, even during his recovery period.
First hitting the market at the end of the 2022-2023 NBA season, The Nike Ja 1 has seen a steady stream of new releases. Over the past year, 28 different renditions of Ja Morant’s shoes have been made available to the public, each offering a unique take on the original design. Nike has ensured that the Ja 1 remains a staple in sneaker culture, with a variety of colorways that appeal to a wide audience. Despite multiple off-court controversies, Nike has stood by Morant, continually bringing fresh and exciting versions of the Ja 1 to sneakerheads. This dedication highlights the brand's belief in Morant's potential and the cultural impact of his signature line.
The Nike Ja 1 is engineered to meet the demands of Ja Morant's explosive style of play, incorporating several advanced technologies and design features that make it an excellent basketball shoe. The upper of Ja Morant’s shoes is typically constructed from a mix of mesh and synthetic leather, providing a balance of lightweight breathability and durable support. The mesh allows for ample ventilation, keeping the feet cool during intense play, while the synthetic leather adds structural integrity and resistance to wear and tear.
At the heart of the Ja 1's performance is the full-length Zoom Air unit. This cushioning system is renowned for its responsiveness and impact protection, making it ideal for a player like Morant, who relies on quick movements and explosive jumps. The Zoom Air unit ensures that every landing is cushioned, reducing the risk of injury and enhancing comfort over extended periods of play.
Several key design elements contribute to the shoe's performance on the court. The solid rubber outsole features an aggressive, multi-directional traction pattern that provides excellent grip on various surfaces, ensuring stability and control during quick cuts and fast breaks. The low-profile design enhances court feel and agility, allowing for more natural and responsive movements. Additionally, the shoe's fit is designed to provide secure lockdown and containment, preventing the foot from sliding inside the shoe and ensuring a snug, comfortable fit.
Now that we've explored the background and significance of Ja Morant's shoes, it's time to rank every Nike Ja 1 released so far. With nearly 30 colorways, the Ja 1 lineup offers a diverse range of styles and performance features. Let's dive into the 20 best renditions, evaluating their design, performance, and overall impact on the sneaker world.
Nike Ja 1 Hunger
The Nike Ja 1 Hunger is a vibrant and eye-catching colorway that captures Ja Morant's relentless drive and passion for the game. This version of Ja Morant’s shoe features a mismatched design with a red mesh upper on the left shoe and a blue mesh upper on the right; each accented with contrasting colors. The black midsole with orange speckles and the black wraparound TPU Swoosh add a bold touch.
Nike Ja 1 Day
The Nike Ja 1 Day celebrates the daily grind and dedication required to excel in the NBA. Like the Hunger rendition, the Day colorway has a mismatched design, hosting a vapor green color palette on the left pair and a bright mandarin shade on the right. Each also features accenting hues of light armory blue on the Swoosh and heel portions.
Nike Ja 1 Trivia
The Nike Ja 1 Trivia is a playful and colorful rendition that reflects Ja Morant's energetic personality. Featuring a mix of orange, white, green, blue, and purple, this colorway hosts a series of questions about Morant on the insole. It takes inspiration from Ja’s family’s favorite ‘90s sitcom trivia game.
Nike Ja 1 All-Star
The Nike Ja 1 All-Star was designed as part of Nike Basketball’s 2024 NBA All-Star celebrations. Though Ja Morant could not participate in this year's NBA All-Star Game, the pair was released and featured a vibrant and colorful appearance alongside a quote from Morant on the outsole: “All my life, my parents worked for a check. Now I’m proud to say I work for the check.”
Nike Ja 1 Murray State
The Nike Ja 1 Murray State pays homage to Ja Morant's college days, where he made a name for himself as a standout player. This colorway features the signature colors of Murray State University, with gold accents on a navy base and white hits on the heel and outsole.
Nike Ja 1 EYBL
The Nike Ja 1 EYBL is a special edition created for the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). This colorway features vibrant hues of melon tint with a marbled tie-dye pattern applied to the heel. Mismatched colors on the tongue tag add to the look, while the sole unit gets a split finish in blue and black/white.
Nike Ja 1 Wet Cement
The Nike Ja 1 Wet Cement is coated in the usual mesh, leather, and TPU construction with a laser orange color palette. Dark grey accents hit the Swoosh, heel, sockliner, and sole unit. A marbled effect is applied to the various grey shades for the outsole.
Nike Ja 1 Light Smoke Grey
The Nike Ja 1 Light Smoke Grey offers a refined and understated design. The white upper is accented by subtle grey and black details, providing a versatile and elegant look. Performance details remain untouched, including the Zoom Air cushioning and the grippy rubber outsole.
Nike Ja 1 White Black
The Nike Ja 1 White Black is a timeless and versatile colorway that combines a white upper with black accents. This clean and classic design makes it suitable for both on and off the court. Added details that differentiate this pair from others include the scratch marks found on the sole unit, mimicking those found on a colorway we’ll discuss later on in this list.
Nike Ja 1 Red Stardust Bite
The Nike Ja 1 Red Stardust Bite is a bold and striking colorway featuring a red stardust upper. This eye-catching design saw a first for the model: canvas overlays and reworked branding details. On the tongue and insole sits a graphic depicting the grills that Ja Morant purchased from Johnny Dang.
Nike Ja 1 Scratch
The Nike Ja 1 Scratch features a dynamic design with scratch-like graphics across the upper. This colorway represents the Memphis Grizzlies throwback jerseys, which pay homage to the team’s original roots as the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Nike Ja 1 Night
Opposite the Nike Ja 1 Day, the Nike Ja 1 Night offers a sleek and stealthy design with a predominantly black upper accented by dark grey details. Accenting hues of lilac bloom are found on the heel, while a glow-in-the-dark Swoosh graces the midfoot.
Nike Ja 1 NY vs. NY
The Nike Ja 1 NY vs. NY pays tribute to the legendary streetball scene in New York City. This colorway features bold graphics and vibrant colors that capture the essence of NYC's basketball culture, specifically referencing Nike’s NY vs. NY tournament.
Nike Ja 1 Smoke
The Nike Ja 1 Smoke features a smoky black upper with a smokey Swoosh on the midfoot. This pair’s original design featured a quote from Ja: “We aint ducking no smoke.” Due to the controversy surrounding Morant, regarding his use of a gun on Instagram live, Nike decided to cover up the quote with a patch that has Ja’s “TMT” signature, though some pairs did make it to the public with this quote visible.
Nike Ja 1 PE Autograph
The Nike Ja 1 PE Autograph was one of the first colorways Ja Morant showcased for his new sneaker back at the end of 2022. Morant signed and gifted his personal pair, back when the public thought it was a PE, to a young fan who took the pair to a sneaker store to have it wrapped in plastic, preserving the autograph. Nearly a year later, the sneaker hit shelves for the public to grab.
Nike Ja 1 Day 1
The first GR colorway of the Ja 1, the Nike Ja 1 Day 1, comes with a cobalt bliss upper that is accented by a gradient Swoosh, transitioning from a light green hue to a red shade as you move back towards the heel. Inside, a special message from Ja Morant is found on the insole, thanking everyone who was with him since day one of his journey into professional basketball.
Nike Ja 1 Chinese New Year
The Nike Ja 1 Chinese New Year came as part of Nike’s celebration of the 2024 Chinese New Year. A clean white upper is accented by metallic gold hits on the dragon scale pattern along the midfoot, the Swoosh, and the heel. A special lace dubrae nods to the Year of the Dragon, and so does the right insole.
Nike Ja 1 Halloween
The Nike Ja 1 Halloween brought spooky vibes to Morant’s first signature sneaker. A volt green upper features a slashed-up Swoosh logo, scratched by the zombie hand graphics found on the heel tab. Blood red branding is found on the heel as well, split between Ja Morant’s “12” and a Nike Swoosh.
Nike Ja 1 Midnight
Celebrating Ja Morant’s late-night grind, the Nike Ja 1 Midnight features Swarovski crystals throughout its design. Most of the sneaker takes on a black appearance while we Swarovski crystals placed all over the Swoosh, the “12 AM” lace dubrae, and the Ja Morant logo hangtag attached to the lacing setup. The pair retailed for $250 and was only released via a SNKRS Pass.
Nike Ja 1 Christmas
Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 1, like many classic Nike Basketball models, got its own Christmas colorway. Morant previously wore the sneaker back in 2022, with the colorway hitting shelves for all in December 2023, featuring a glowing appearance on its leather overlays
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
