Sneaker News One would think that eighteen models in, Nike had already explored every possible innovative and marketing opportunity for LeBron James’ newest signature shoe. One would be wrong. The Nike LeBron 19 would be the first time a signature shoe would be debuting in a movie as LeBron and the Looney Tunes gang led by Bugs Bunny will be starring in Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long-awaited follow-up to Michael Jordan’s memorable feature film from 1996. In it will be updated friends, updated enemies, updated gear, and of course, an all-new sneaker that pushes the envelope once more.
The Nike LeBron 19 continues the exploration basketball-specific Air Max, a cushioning package that LeBron has clung to since the LeBron 7. For the latest chapter, the Nike Basketball team created a dual-chambered Air Max unit combined with a Zoom forefoot unit for a brand new expression of Air. Tasked with creating a design that matched the space-age look, the design/engineering team aimed for “an otherworldly feel”, according to Senior Designer Jason Petrie. Based on this first look at two upcoming releases, the LeBron 19 has quickly drawn comparisons to the LeBron 9 for its high-reaching tongue and the exterior heel.
Introduced is the “Sweatsuit” colorway, which features maps of the Nike World Headquarters and the Warner Brothers lot, and the “Tune Squad” colorway, designed to match the iconic jerseys worn by LeBron and his crew in the upcoming film.
The entire Space Jam: A New Legacy collection will release in July 2021; the LeBron 19 will retail at $200. The film hits theaters on July 16th, 2021 and on HBO Max for 31 days from the theatrical release.
