Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Ripped After Debut Of Signature Sneaker

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum received a ton of backlash from the sneaker community after photos leaked of his debut signature shoe with Jordan Brand.

Now in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, Jordan granted Tatum the ultimate reward. The 24-year-old joins a list of stars — Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Russell Westbrook — who already have signature lines with the brand.

Tatum, who inked a multi-year contract with Jordan in 2019, has sported various player-exclusive colorways since his sophomore campaign. Initially, Tatum began his career with Nike. Throughout his rookie season, Tatum would wear exclusive colorways of former Celtics teammate Kyrie Irving’s signature sneakers.

Here’s a look at Tatum’s first signature shoe, courtesy of Nice Kicks:

Despite featuring a vague resemblance to the Air Jordan 11 IE Low Bred — a classic staple to Michael Jordan’s sneaker line — many were not feeling it. Granted, the kicks are designed for on-court utility rather than casual wear. However, that didn’t stop Twitter users from giving Tatum and Jordan Brand a piece of their minds.

Safe to say for those hoping to land a pair, there likely won’t be a line outside of your local shoe store on launch date. These are set to release in the summer of 2023, according to Sole Retriever. Hitting the shelves first will be the “Zoo,” “St. Louis,” and “Pink Lemonade” colorways.