The triangle offense employed by Phil Jackson while coaching Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls placed an emphasis on spacing, cutting, quick reactions to the defense and a positionless approach to all five players on the court.
Although today’s game places a much greater emphasis on three-point shooting, many of its elements remain present — which is why Jordan Brand has chosen to name its newest performance basketball sneaker after the system.
The Jordan Triangle is designed for versatility throughout positions on court, and is loaded with some of Nike’s best tech at an approachable $140 price tag. A Cushlon 3.0 foam carrier holds additional ZoomX cushioning at the forefoot and an Air Zoom unit at the heel.
“When you think about the playing style of both male and female athletes today, it’s very dynamic at the pro, collegiate, NIL or EYBL level,” Donald Kelsey, Jordan Brand senior director of basketball and promo footwear, said in a call with journalists. “We wanted to make sure we have a shoe that can last from the beginning to end of a game to keep your legs fresh and be combined with propulsion.”
Zoom Air units are typically found at the forefoot of other basketball sneakers under the Swoosh umbrella (e.g. the Converse Shai 001 and Nike A’Two) and but is shifted back on the Triangle for impact protection during landings. ZoomX foam then takes its place as a lightweight, flexible and cushy element that helped the full midsole configuration test better than others. Also included is a lateral midfoot shank for stiffness and stability through cuts.
Additional lockdown comes via a carbon fiber-inspired woven upper hosting a V-shaped toe overlay featuring oblong cutouts on either side. The then eyestay sweeps back and arches beneath the collar to the heel as one continuous element.
For the color stories, Jordan Brand is placing an emphasis on freshness and not tying the Triangle to any of the many historic colorways from its history. Green and black Volt/Infrared, tonal blue and white Baltic Blue and tonal pink and black Hyper Punch will be the three launch editions. Confirmed but not ready to be shown are regional-exclusive treatments for the Quai54, Dongdan and Ny vs NY streetball tournaments this summer.
“We’ve got a whole team that does retros and heritage stuff, so it doesn’t really serve us to dwell on that,” said Leo Chang, Jordan Brand senior creative director of basketball and sport. “It’s really important to define this era of Jordan Basketball and tell no stories, have new expresions. We want to move forward.”
The Jordan Triangle will release July 2 through Jordan Brand’s website and select third-party retailers.
From left to right: The Jordan Triangle in “Baltic Blue,” “Volt/Infrared” and “Hyper Punch.”
Jordan Triangle (above)
Jordan Triangle “Hyper Punch” (lateral and outsole)
Jordan Triangle “Baltic Blue” (lateral and toe detail)
Jordan Triangle “Volt/Infrared” (heel)
