Throughout the run of the Nike Ja 3, connecting to the next generation of hoopers has been a clear priority. Remember that the “EYBL” was the first release that the public could get their hands on, chalking up its second with the “NY vs. NY” festivities that overtook the Big Apple shortly afterwards. Though we’ve now gotten a string of general release drops to fill the void between, that concept isn’t falling far out of favor, back in vogue as the Nike Ja 3 “At Dawn” surfaces with in-hand shots.
We’ll state up top that the narrative elements behind this shoe aren’t entirely clear: a mysterious combination of a tri-state logo uniting New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, one working in the latter’s area code on the interior of the tongue, an hourglass Swoosh emblem on one of the insoles, and a circular counterpart on the other. In that final piece, we get confirmation that this is an ode to early morning grind that begets gametime readiness, no doubt inspiring the “At Dawn” title and sunrise coloring that piles on top of one another in the upper (“Baltic Blue” in the Swoosh, “Total Orange” in the sole, “Hyper Pink” toward the collar, and black anchoring throughout.)Unless this marks the Swoosh introducing a new event on their hoops circuit, our best guess is that Team Tri-State took home the trophy at NY vs. NY, perhaps sneaking a nod to the champs into a silhouette that’s embraced the tourney before.
This provides a closer look at one of the Spring/Summer colorways that Morant himself put forth earlier in the year, with this tropical edition serving as one of the more vibrant of the bunch. Now with its theming revealed, the narrative elements point to early morning sunsets one might take in through a gym window, rather than some far-off vista you’d catch from the beachfront.
As with all of that group alluded to earlier, don’t expect to see the Nike Ja 3 “At Dawn” until 2026, likely during the Spring season (sometime between January and March). Catch in-hand images below and keep our Sneaker Release Dates page within reach to be the first to know when additional information comes to light.
