Nightmare Fuel: Take a Look Behind the Curtain at the Nike Ja 4 Design Process

Ja Morant is ready for a career refresh. After spending his entire NBA tenure thus far in Memphis, Morant is joining forces with Dame Dolla in the fresh scenery of Portland, Oregon. The new Trail Blazer also has a new shoe, for a total glow-up ahead of the new season. Carrying over the clearly branded stabilization panels from the Ja 3, the Ja 4 is ready to take things to a new level in the Pacific Northwest.

Ja is Ready for a Fresh Start

A new ad campaign posted to Instagram this week by Nike Basketball takes us behind the curtain on the design process behind the Ja 4, starting with the man himself. The short ad spot details Morant’s hands-on, no-holds-barred approach to design collaboration, honing in on Morant’s insistence that the JA stabilization plate striking across the side panel of the Ja 3 was brought over to the Ja 4.

“Through the process from the 1 to the 4, I learned a lot of different things, and you can see on the outcome of the shoe,” Morant says. “Ja got motion, Ja got aura…The second a kid puts this shoe on, they feel like they can be like Ja,” Nike Basketball Materials Designer Chris Munar added.

Nike Ja 4 Release Details

The Nike Ja 4 will debut August 13, 2026, in a Nightmare on 12th Street colorway through Nike and select retailers in-store and online. Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is set at $130. To stay up on all the latest news on the Nike Ja 4, make sure to download the Sole Retriever App.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com