BEHIND THE DESIGN WITH EDRIC EGBERUARE
Product Line Manager, Signature Footwear
Ahead of the huge Jayson Tatum 4 World Tour “Welcome to London” pack dropping exclusively at BounceWear London earlier this month, we had the privilege of speaking with the shoe’s designer, Edric Egberuare, to break down the details.
How would you describe the design philosophy behind the Tatum line? How have you seen it evolve, and what’s the journey been from the first model through to the Tatum 4?
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think the team — and Jayson as well — would say the goal has always been to create a distinct lane that’s his and his alone. With the Tatum 1, he was still super young in the league: fresh legs, explosive, taking off, jumping off one leg. As players evolve, you can see the shoe evolving with them.
The 2 and the 3 introduced that smoother design language, and the conforming fit really stood out on the 3 — those channels moving with the foot. With the 4, from a basketball standpoint, as a player progresses, it becomes about efficiency: staying smooth, but getting to your spots with the fewest, cleanest moves possible. That’s exactly what we wanted to bring into the shoe.
So that conforming-fit upper and the language established in the 2 and 3 is still there, but with the 4 it gets much sharper. When you look at it — the channels, the panels — there’s an efficiency to it. It’s clean, it’s sharp, it knows what it’s doing.
And from a material and handfeel standpoint, you felt it: the materials are premium, plush. That really reflects Tatum himself — he’s a smooth guy who loves high-quality, premium-feel things, and we wanted the shoe to reflect that too.
Did you feel there were lessons learned from the first three models? What would you say are the biggest takeaways from those shoes that informed the design of this one?
I think it’s really about growth and evolution. The longer someone’s in the league, the more they find themselves and establish their own distinct lane. With footwear, when you look at the signature marketplace, a lot of shoes end up looking very similar — molded, technical, almost like everyone’s trying to build the same kind of spaceship.
For Jayson, it was about saying, this is your own lane. You now have a design language people immediately recognise. If you saw it in black and white, you’d still say, “Oh, that’s a Tatum.”
And from a materials and touch standpoint — that soft, high-quality feel — this is the only shoe in the marketplace that feels like this.
How do you balance the aesthetic and the visual innovation with the technology and performance elements underneath it all?
Everything is formed by function. With the 3, we really leaned into that conforming fit in the upper, and for the 4 we took the same last but trimmed the edges slightly. Then, with the softer materials, the whole model molds and fits much more snugly around your foot — without squeezing it. It creates this really dialled-in, almost perfect fit. So it’s about taking those nods from the previous models and just turning the precision up a little.
And then there’s the shank. As players evolve and get stronger — and you saw it with Jayson last year, pre-injury, when he was bullying guys — he’s smooth, he can go by you, around you, but he can also go through you. As that part of a player’s game develops, you need more stability underfoot. That’s where the midfoot shank comes in on the 4. It carries the “Find a Way” mantra, but functionally it’s really about adding stability to something that’s already so smooth and strong, without adding weight. And we managed it — the 3 and the 4 weigh exactly the same.
What is Jayson like? What is he like to work with as a collaborator? How hands-on has he been through this whole process?
Jayson’s easy to work with — he's a good teammate. He’s open to ideas, willing to listen, and able to lead when needed. At the same time, he has his own strong point of view, which is great. From a design perspective, it’s easy to understand who he is and how distinct he is. You see so many signature athletes across the board, especially younger players, and a lot of them are always in front of the phone or chasing trends. Jayson’s a bit more considered. I’d call him a considered superstar. He’s well within his lane, knows who he is, and there’s a confidence in that — which makes it easy for us to draw inspiration from him.
That element of being considered — would you say that, along with his distinct playing style and personality, has influenced the material choices or design language you’ve used?
Absolutely. That’s really evident in the London Pack. Everything is considered — there are water-resistant pieces, for example, making it highly walkable. It nods to the UK underground scene, reflecting that grit you see in London, but it’s still smooth. So when we think of London, it’s that blend: gritty, weather-resistant, but also effortlessly cool. You guys in London are cool cats!
We talked a little at the start about storytelling — perhaps the most significant being winning a title — but then another major moment in his career was the injury. What role do you think that storytelling element plays into this shoe?
What’s cool is that Jayson is so consistent — he’s a worker. On the court, off the court, he’s the same guy, but he’s always in the gym. Find a way has always been his mantra, and that ethic — countless hours refining, improving, and refining some more — translates directly to recovery and resilience. Even now, in November, the clips of him on the court from workouts are incredible. As his journey continues, that story will be completely evident: resiliency, efficiency, and knowing exactly who you are while staying in your own lane. That, I’d say, is really the ethos of Jayson from a design perspective. And the stories? They really write themselves.
You’ve talked a lot about what’s gone into the shoe and the inspiration behind the London Pack. Is there a part of the design or material innovation that you’re most proud of — how it’s come out in hand or on foot?
I’d say the overall execution. We went on a bit of a world tour with this, wanting to channel each city’s flavor, taste, and style. What’s really fun is in the details — for example, the channels. There are little rubber-resistant hits nodding to functionality, and in the main channels, we swapped the four-way stretch material for something more ballistic, more durable. That’s a nod to the London consumer — gritty but still cool.
You can also see this on the AJ 11 IE, where the channels reflect the same approach. There’s a cultural reference there, too: think back to the Air Max BW, tracksuits, freshness — it’s a blend of street style and sport. That element of freshness is very much a part of Jayson, and Londoners have that same vibe. The Tatum 4 and AJ 11 IE executions both live in that space — functional, premium, but effortlessly stylish.
Taking into account Jayson and what you just mentioned about him, how do you see the Tatum line fitting into Jordan Brand’s legacy of making signature shoes for athletes?
That’s a great question. When you look at the signature landscape today, it’s flooded — every player under the sun has a signature model, from big brands to small ones. But Jordan, from a signature perspective, has always brought so much to the table. One thing Jordan does really well is blend style and function — premium materials with performance. Think leathers, suedes, and bucks throughout the signature line and what that meant for basketball. That’s exactly what we’ve carried into Jayson’s line. As more colourways and materials roll out, the Tatum line will continue to stand for premium materials, premium touch, and premium fit.
Where do you see the line going from here?
I think the franchise is already well established as a shoe that’s always ready to go — no break-in required. It’s an easy hoop shoe. The Tatum 4 is going to really cement itself as the go-to option. You look at it and think, “I know I can get 30 in this.” Then you put it on and realise, “No, I know I can get 40.” That’s exactly what we want to establish — what this shoe means for the basketball-playing kid.
Bouncewear likes to thank the Nike/Ekin team for bringing this content piece to live, special thanks to Edric Egberuare to break down the ‘Welcome to London’ pack, the storytelling, and why this shoe is shaping its own lane.
