The story behind Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum's new coffee-inspired Jordan sneaker

Ranked by some outlets among the Top 10 of the NBA's elite talents, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is a superstar in every sense of the term. Tatum's star power earned him a lucrative, multi-year endorsement deal with Air Jordan back in the Summer of 2019. It took a bit of time for JT to have his first signature sneaker hit the open market, as the Tatum 1 became available to the public in 2023.

The Celtics star's second signature Jordan sneaker, the Tatum 2 is beginning to make waves, with the "Mommas Boy" variant leading the charge when it dropped in February 2024. As the superstar yourself, oftentimes you're entitled to one-of-a-kind editions of a sneaker that nobody else can claim, a term commonly referred to as PE (Player-Exclusive). And it's Tatum's most recent PE pair that he wore on April 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks that had people talking.

Tatum's coffee-themed pair of Tatum 2s were courtesy of Ian Williams, founder of a sneaker-themed coffee shop called Deadstock Coffee in Portland, OR.

Tatum's coffee-inspired PE pair of Tatum 2s had social media buzzing.

The shoes have a casual look to them for a pair of basketball sneakers. With a bit of print inspiration from the Jordan 3 "Mocha" model, the Deadstock Coffee x Air Jordan Tatum 2 features JT's signature logo on one pair's tongue, while the coffee brand's logo is featured on the other pair.

Deadstock Coffee's other trademark feature on their collaborated Tatum 2 model is an embroidered seal on the inside tab reading "4th and Couch", which is the intersection where their shop is located in Portland.

"I had always said that we truly embody the ‘Mocha’ colorway as a coffee shop completely inspired by sneakers... Lately I’ve also been very vocal about looking to do more creative stuff in the footwear world again. I got approached by the Brand Jordan team to throw a few ideas out there, and this one was just a hit from the jump"

- Ian Williams via Footwear News

Ian Williams is no stranger to the sneaker world, as prior to his Deadstock Coffee venture, he worked as a shoe developer at Nike. In fact, this Tatum 2 collab is not Williams' first collaborative sneaker effort, as he helped create the Nike Dunk High SB "Wet Floor" colorway back in 2009.

No longer tasked with the hassles of being a Nike shoe developer, Williams has combined his love for sneakers with a passion for coffee, and the Tatum 2 "Mocha" PE brings all the elements together full circle.