The Luka 1 is the long-awaited signature sneaker from Jordan Brand for budding NBA Superstar Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks. Dončić’s deep bag of step-backs, side-steps, and deceptive change-of-speed and change-of-direction ability comes from years as a superstar on the EuroLeague basketball team Real Madrid, where he won championships and racked up personal accolades as a teenager. His transition to the NBA has been seamless, scoring at will while keeping defenders on their toes with his ability to find teammates after breaking down a defense.
Luka’s first signature sneaker also debuts Jordan Brand’s Formula 23, an injectable, sustainable foam compound. The foam is implemented in a way to allow a high level of responsiveness for quick, lateral movements on the court, whether it’s dropping your defender with a quick snatch-back dribble into a step-back three, or sliding quickly to your left to cut off a slashing offensive player. In addition to Formula 23, JB is also debuting the IsoPlate, fitting for a player like Dončić who wrecks defenders in isolation with brilliant handles and a quick dribble pull-up jumper. The IsoPlate wraps up the lateral side of the sneaker, down into the midfoot and forefoot of the midsole, containing your foot within the footbed of the shoe from shifting too far forward or backward in the sneaker. This maximizes front-to-back responsiveness, allowing the Formula 23 cushion to be maximized.
Your foot is locked into the innovative cushioning and propulsion system of the midsole by a multi-layer mesh upper with FlyWire woven into the upper for added containment. The Jordan Luka 1 debuts in an all-black upper with teal accents for the IsoPlate and the additional lateral TPU containment piece on the toe. The pearlescent tongue serves as a glimmering backdrop for the Luka “L7” logo, with red Jumpman branding hits on the bottom of the lacing system and on the heel of the cement-print midsole.
The Jordan Luka 1 is set to release in 2022 with the first GR colorway currently penciled in for July 7th, 2022. Expect to see a few limited releases prior. It will drop at Nike as well as select Jordan Brand retailers worldwide, both online and in-store. Coming in full-family sizing, retail is set at $120 for men. Keep it locked to our Twitter andMobile App to stay up to date on future releases.
Images via Nike
Jonathan Paek is a writer on sneaker releases and news for Sole Retriever. Catch Jonathan's latest articles here!