Fast Looks, Built for Ballers
Nike Zoom Ja Fly 3 track and field shoes are cost-effective, lightweight running spikes for sprinters that bear absolutely no relation to Ja 3 Nike shoes — other than they are both products of the House of Swoosh. But the Ja 3's aggressive, energetic aesthetic does almost convey a running shoe vibe.
The Ja 3 features a low-profile, textile upper with a super-grippy rubber outsole. The ultra-light upper and exceptional on-court traction are about as close to the bite and float-away lightness of a running spike as you can get while still being functional Nike basketball sneakers.
The signature design element of the Ja 3 is the outsole material that stretches over the upper in streaks, as though some unseen claws had slashed at the rubber, exposing the textile beneath. This claw-scratch overlay gives the shoe its nickname. It might also be a nod to Ja Morant's NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Green/Black colorway dropping on November 5 can itself be interpreted as a further tribute to Ja's team. Dubbed the "Turbo Green" in some corners of the internet, it's also getting tagged as the "Grizzlies" Scratch colorway, since it recalls the retro jerseys of a prior era of Grizzlies basketball.
A tilted Swoosh accents the Ja 3 on the lateral side of the shoe, a unique displacement of the famous logo among Nike sneakers. Look closely, and you'll see it sits next to a scratch-mark "A" on the upper — the two design elements form a stylized "JA" on the shoe. On the Green/Black colorway, the Swoosh stands out in red.
Finally, the Ja 3 includes accents and design details that add depth and meaning to the silhouette. The sneakers use a recurring Ja Morant logo as their traction pattern on the outsole (and for all the rubber elements on the upper). And you'll find Ja's number 12 spelled out on the heel, as well as stamped on the soles — in the form of a "1" on the right sole and "2" on the left.
