Deion Sanders/Instagram
Nike to release Deion Sanders’ Diamond Turf 3's in Summer 2024
The sneakerheads across the globe can prepare for the highly-anticipated re-release of Deion Sanders’ signature shoes. A source tells BuffsBeat that Nike Air Diamond Turf 3’s will be available in stores no later than early July. A specific date was given, but has yet to be confirmed by Nike. We're told the company is planning on a mid-summer release next year.
The sneaker line is making a return to the market nearly three decades after the original run. In August of 2023, BuffsBeat detailed the renewed partnership between Sanders and Nike, as well as breaking the news that the Colorado Buffaloes would wear the Nike Air Diamond Turf 3 in cleat form. It was confirmed three days later by Sanders and Nike. In Coach Prime’s press conference prior to Utah, we learned of Nike’s plans to release the iconic shoe that changed football cleats forever to the public. Sanders teased the release saying it was in the works with a gold Nike swoosh.
The Nike Air Diamond Turf 3 is the definitive line in the sand for on field football footwear. Before the DT3, almost every single football cleat or shoe was in fact, by definition, a cross-trainer. Typically, more bulky, rounder, and clunkier. The reason for that was to maximize lateral support for cutting and allowing the player to also hold their ground. They also prioritize a sturdy base. They tended to be noticeably heavier. The problem is cross-trainers are fine for defensive lineman, offensive lineman and even linebackers for a while until that position evolved. The problem Nike ran into was that a typical cross-trainer would not maximize an athlete’s evolving ability like Sanders in his prime.
Whether we knew it then or not, the Diamond Turf 3 would change almost everything we know about football footwear in 1996 and beyond. What was the big change? To stop looking at cross-trainers as the answer. Cross-trainers are great for downhill running. Plant, cut, go. However, to an athlete who makes a living cutting on a dime repeatedly, constant change of direction, and the need to explode out of the break, a cross-trainer is just bad. This shift would also impact other field signature athletes.
Look at the design details in the Nike Air Diamond Turf 3. Does it look like a cross-trainer? No, it is a full ‘high top’ by 1996 standards (basketball). Utilizes the max air heel technology found in other Nike shoes (basketball). The toe box is slenderer than a conventional cross-trainer (basketball). The shoe maximizes lateral movement support and without compromising explosion (basketball). The arch bridge carried over from the previous Diamond Turfs, but the lateral outsole does not crawl up the side panels as it did in earlier models. That crawl is noticeable on the Diamond Turf 1 & 2, as well as other cross-trainers that came before. In 1996 we saw this transition start with Deion Sanders’ Nike Air Diamond Turf 3.
This design shift would carry over to other sneaker staples. The Nike Air Griffey Max, still retroed today, follows a similar design shift. The shoe had the max air throughout, heel to toe, but everything else is similar. The Nike Air Zoom Turf Jet 97 (a Barry Sanders signature shoe) followed a very similar shift as well. Look around the next time you watch a football game. Take note of what players are wearing. Outside of the offensive and defensive lines (you’ll even see there sometimes believe it or not), what does it look like they’re wearing? Answer: Basketball shoes turned into cleats.
Shedeur Sanders for example, practiced most of the 2023 season in Jordan 1 “Panda” lows. Every single variation of the Jordan 1 imaginable has been converted into a football cleat. While we’re on Brand Jordan, most retroes have become cleats. Earlier this season, Lebron James gifted the Ohio State Buckeyes the Nike Lebron 4 Graffiti in cleat form. The Nike Kobe has been turned into not only football cleats, but also “futbol” cleats. The reason for this is that quite simply, basketball shoes with teeth are flat out better for the modern game of football than cross-trainers. All thanks to Deion Sanders, Nike, and the Diamond Turf 3.
Nike announced the original Nike Air Diamond Turf Max 96 will be released in its original “Black/Varsity Maize”. The expected retail cost will be $170. Which is very typical for any non-Jordan/Lebron signature shoe release (ie… Kobe, Penny, Griffey, Barkley, etc).
At this point, Sanders is no stranger to the idea of being great in multiple things. Football and Baseball. Playing and Coaching. Player and marketer. Hall of Famer and mentor to young players. Even though it’s almost 30 years later, add football game innovator and shoe game innovator. Coach Prime is truly a “legend in two games” across the board.