Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is a superstar in every definition of the word, ranked by some sites in the Top 10 of the NBA’s elite players. In the summer of 2019, Tatum’s star power secured him a multi-year, lucrative endorsement agreement with Air Jordan. It took some time for JT’s first signature sneaker to become widely accessible; the Tatum 1 wasn’t made available to the general public until 2023.

The “Mommas Boy” version of the Celtics star’s second signature Jordan sneaker, the Tatum 2, is starting to gain traction after being released in February 2024. Being the superstar that you are, you frequently have the right to unique shoe versions that no one else has—a situation known as PE (Player-Exclusive). And the pair that got everyone talking was Tatum’s most recent PE pair, which he wore on April 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ian Williams, the creator of Portland, Oregon’s Deadstock Coffee, a sneaker-themed coffee store, provided Tatum with his coffee-themed pair of Tatum 2s.

For basketball sneakers, the shoes have a laid-back vibe to them. The Deadstock Coffee x Air Jordan Tatum 2 incorporates the coffee brand’s emblem on one pair of shoes and JT’s trademark logo on the other, drawing influence from the Jordan 3 “Mocha” model’s print.

The second distinguishing element of the jointly developed Tatum 2 model by Deadstock Coffee is an embroidered seal on the inside tab that reads “4th and Couch,” referring to the Portland area where their shop is situated.

As a coffee business that was heavily influenced by footwear, I had always claimed that we genuinely embodied the “Mocha” colorway. I’ve also been fairly outspoken lately about wanting to get back into the footwear industry and do more creative things. The Brand Jordan team asked me to submit a couple ideas, and this one was immediately successful.”

Ian Williams has experience in the footwear industry having worked as a shoe developer for Nike before starting Deadstock Coffee. Actually, Williams’ collaboration on the Tatum 2 sneaker is not his first; in 2009, he contributed to the creation of the Nike Dunk High SB “Wet Floor” hue.

Williams has blended his love of sneakers with a passion for coffee, and the Tatum 2 “Mocha” PE completes the circle. Williams is no longer burdened with the rigors of developing Nike shoes.