Nike Ja 3 basketball shoes, two colourways

About this model

The Ja 3 is Ja Morant's third signature shoe with Nike, released in August 2025. Nike frames it around his path from backyard workouts with his dad to NBA Rookie of the Year, and calls it the bounciest Ja model so far. The reason is underfoot. It was the first Nike basketball performance shoe with a layered, full-length hybrid ZoomX midsole, and Ja calls the foam his jet fuel.

Hybrid here means two layers. Reviewers describe regular ZoomX on top and recycled ZoomX underneath, held inside a hard rubber cupsole, with a foam sockliner over it. On court they found the ride subtle and smooth, less springy than some running shoes, with good feedback from the floor. The outsole pattern is built from a repeating logo, and Nike says it was shaped for Ja's quick changes of direction. The rubber is soft and very grippy indoors, so reviewers advise against outdoor play, where it would wear down fast.

The upper is a single piece of textile mesh with graphic overlays and the scratch marks that have run through the line since the Ja 1. The lettering and logo grew out of letters Ja spray-painted during a session on Nike's campus. The collar is low and padded. Testers found that the mesh softens as it warms up and loses some hold on hard lateral cuts. They suggest true to size for narrow and regular feet and say wide-footed players should try it on first.

Sources: nike.com (product) · nike.com (Ja 3 story) · WearTesters · Sneaker News