What to know
- Tuned for creating maximum separation from defenders, the Luka 3 is designed to provide balance to the stop-in-an-instant gameplay of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
- The Luka 3 evolves the Isoplate, a technology specifically developed for Dončić, by widening the lateral outrigger and removing sections of the plate's sidewall to reduce weight.
- The shoe features full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam for smooth heel-to-toe transition. Together with the Isoplate, the Luka 3 midsole system is designed for decelerating and accelerating, like when moving out of the step-back and attacking the basket.
Tuned for creating maximum separation from defenders, the Luka 3 is designed to provide balance to the stop-in-an-instant gameplay of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
The Luka 3 evolves the Isoplate, a technology specifically developed for Dončić, by widening the lateral outrigger and removing sections of the plate's sidewall to reduce weight. The shoe features full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam for smooth heel-to-toe transition. Together with the Isoplate, the Luka 3 midsole system is designed for accelerating out of off-speed transitions, like moving out of the step-back and attacking the basket.
The shoe allows players to take full advantage of lateral and diagonal movements. The Isoplate produces torsional rigidity to keep the player locked in over the footbed. Cutouts along the lateral toe box include a neoprene-like barrier, allowing the toes to flex just enough on aggressive cuts without forsaking containment.
The real-life inspiration for the Luka 3 comes from Dončić's love for high-performance sports cars. The properties of an elite car—the motor to propel forwards, the chassis for control and agility—translated to Luka's game, where he uses speed and control to his advantage for an offensive arsenal that's nearly impossible to guard (part of the shoe's design is inspired by a tyre decelerating and accelerating at top speeds). The outsole features a generative herringbone pattern and is inspired by racing-tyre traction. Other details are more subtle, such as the pull tabs modelled after the material of seat belts and the wavy striations on the engineered textile upper inspired by high speeds.
The Luka 3 builds off the performance benefits of the Luka 2 and raises the floor for sustainability throughout the Luka franchise. For the first time, every Luka 3 colourway achieves a Tier-2 sustainability score, meaning each shoe is made with at least 20 percent recycled material by weight.
The Luka 3 will be released in the Midnight Racer colourway on 5 July in Europe; the Photo Finish colourway will be released globally on 16 July.
Luka 3
