The Nike Ja 2 “Scratch – NY vs. NY” (stylecode IB8235-300) is chapter two of the claw series — and this time, the scratches aren’t a detail; they’re the whole story. Screaming toxic green, a pink swoosh that defiantly clashes, and black claw marks ripping across the side as if something has broken free from the sole. Ja Morant’s second signature doesn’t walk into a room. It stomps through the city.
Some sneakers ask for attention. This one grabs it. Where the first pair only offered a wink, the Ja 2 goes all in: the scratch has become the theme. And that motif — two vivid streaks tearing through the surface — is all too familiar to us at Solezilla. It’s literally our logo. The double claw scratch, the “II”, has been on everything we do for years. Our language, on a basketball shoe.
Where it started
To understand why this one hits so hard, you have to go back to the Nike Ja 1 “Reverse Scratch” from 2024. That was the first time someone put claw marks on Ja’s line — still subtle, a detail you had to look for. The Ja 2 flips that around. The scratches are the shoe. Black on toxic green, rough and torn, as if a monster has clawed its way past. And that’s exactly what gives it that middle-chapter feel: the idea has grown up, but it isn’t fully realized yet. That comes in chapter three, with the Nike Ja 3 “Year of the Horse” from 2026. The Ja 2 is the bridge: harder than the first, rawer than the third.
The colorway that asks for nothing
This is not a shoe for the back row. The upper is a vivid toxic green — the kind of green that lights up in a dark gym. Over it sits a pink, almost magenta swoosh that deliberately pushes back: no safe match, just a statement. Black claw marks tear across the side, ripping open the green. Underneath it all is a cream-volt outsole, that pale greenish yellow anchoring the whole thing. “NY vs NY” as a theme — two colors colliding. And on the court, the Air Zoom cushioning matters: this is still a real hoops shoe, not a costume.
The release date was June 13, 2025, with a retail price of $140 at the time. What you’ll pay for it in the Netherlands now is listed below — available from a select number of webshops: [sz_price_from stylecode=”IB8235-300″]
Let’s be honest
We’ll just say it out loud, because a hidden agenda doesn’t suit a monster. Yes, we’re writing this claw series partly to get on Beaverton’s radar. The scratch is our thing, Nike is fully leaning into it now, and a real Nike × Solezilla collab is exactly what we want. No false modesty: if anyone over there is reading this, we’re ready with our claws out. And just to be clear — this is not a collaboration, and never has been. It’s a spiritual connection, two parties who happen to like the same scratches. We’re simply the ones who dared to say it first.
Worth hunting down?
If you’re looking for a sneaker that doesn’t complement your outfit but takes it over, this is the one. The Ja 2 is loud, bold, and completely itself. For collectors, this is the hinge point between the beginning and the climax. For anyone who wants something that stands out: those claw marks do the work. Want to know where the best deal is? [sz_price_from stylecode=”IB8235-300″]
Feel free to compare prices on Solezilla — put the Ja 2 next to chapters one and three, and see where your claw wants to scratch deepest.
Update — the fourth chapter: we stopped waiting. Nike borrowed our claws three times, so we designed our own dream. Check out the Nike × Solezilla Air Force 1 “Solezilla” — the concept we created ourselves. Cop or drop?