Nike Sabrina 3 Features New Signature Specifications

Forbes

6 days ago

The new Nike Sabrina 3 basketball sneaker for Sabrina Ionescu.
Sabrina Ionescu's third signature basketball sneaker from Nike, the Sabrina 3, takes plenty of technology that has made it one of the go-to sneakers in the sport—for both female and male players—and adds to it with a new signature touch.
While the underfoot cushioning of a forefoot Air Zoom unit and Cushlon 3.0 midsole ties to the previous model, the upper takes on a fresh approach. And it does so by tunneling.
Mesh pleats in the upper offer up both a distinct style perspective for the silhouette but also house cables spanning the midfoot that provide enhanced containment, strength and support, Nike says. 'The Sabrina 3 builds on the consistency we've established with Sabrina's first two signature silhouettes while evolving the look and feel of the shoe to match her needs on the court and further reflect her personal story and style,' says Ben Nethongkome, lead designer for the Sabrina signature footwear franchise. 'The Sabrina 1 and 2 made her signature line a go-to choice for hoopers around the world, and we wanted to keep that standout performance and consistency while helping make Sabrina, and the athletes who wear her shoe, even faster, stronger and more confident in every step.'
Sabrina Ionescu's new Sabrina 3.
Nethongkome says the lightweight responsiveness of the Sabrina line now comes with even more security.
'I know every single basketball player who puts on the Sabrina 3 will continue to see and feel the work that we've put in to create the best performance shoe that we can,' Ionescu says. 'This shoe represents so much of me, from the vertical Swoosh that we've had since the Sabrina 1 to the design touches personal to me. I hope it inspires all hoopers, especially young girls, helping them continue to break down barriers and believe in themselves.'
A new traction pattern emerges underfoot, with a concentric 'S' design meant to celebrate the shoe's signature namesake.
The technology inside the Sabrina 3.
Nike launched the Sabrina 1 in 2023, offering up a new model each year since. Nethongkome told me then that the design team had some ideas about how to start the process but relied on Ionescu to really lead the way. 'We have some scenarios in our back pocket,' he says, 'but we tested the waters a little bit in this case with Sabrina. Do you envision your style of play being more like this or like that? If it is like this, we use these toolkits.'
The designers and the athlete settled on crafting a shoe for her style of play, which Nethongkome described as a 'shifty guard' that required a sneaker to keep her on her toes and be the conductor of her team. 'To be quick on her feet we had to look at toolkits for her style of play,' he says.
The traction pattern on the Sabrina 3 features a concentric "S" design.
The design, then, started from the hardwood up. Nike first used React foam underfoot coupled with a Zoom Air bag in the forefoot to promote quicker movements and decisions when on her toes. Instead of dropping a crash pad in the heel for landing, the Zoom Air in the forefoot focuses on quick movements.
The cable concept has been part of the Sabrina franchise from the start, with the Sabrina 1 featuring lightweight mesh and localized cables to provide support. The latest model builds off the concept.
For the Sabrina 3, launching July 24, expect Nike to promote a range of new colorways, materials and finishes meant to add another level of style to the technology of the Sabrina signature.