John Kim 
The long NBA season came to a close on Sunday night, with the San Antonio Spurs closing out the 2013-2014 campaign by winning its fifth NBA title. While Spurs fans (and what seems like the rest of the nation) are happy with the outcome, that leaves sneaker fans without any celebratory sneaker release; we predicted some sort of three-peat Pack if Miami won, and there’s no doubt that a Nike LeBron “Three-peat” release would be one of the best releases of the year. Instead, the flipside of the Nike LeBron 11 spectrum is emphasized; LeBron James rarely wore the LeBron 11 during the season, option for the lower-priced Soldier VII throughout the Playoffs. Did his lack of on-feet wears influence his fans?
It’s safe to say that in the signature athlete dominated industry, it’s absolutely paramount that the athlete in question wear the sneaker day in and day out. After all, LeBron’s sneaker sales have skyrocketed in tandem with his success in basketball, and seeing Nike LeBrons on his feet night in and night out made them all the more desirable. The official sales numbers of the LeBron 11 aren’t in yet, but there’s an argument for both sides – sales are still increasing because the shoes look dope, or LeBron numbers are dipping because the guy ain’t wearing them anymore. We asked our readers on Twitter to chime in, so check out some of the responses and let us know who you relate to the most.
@sneakernews yes couldn’t cosign if he wasn’t trying to
— Lee&Drew (@leexdrew) June 16, 2014
@sneakernews Yes, somewhat. If an athlete doesn’t support his latest shoe then they obviously don’t like it as much, so why should I?
— Connor (@LlNKlN) June 16, 2014
The fellas above agree that they couldn’t get on board with LeBrons if the player himself wasn’t really feeling them. Early on in the 2013-2014 NBA season, LeBron chose not to wear them because of discomfort on his feet during play. This came to light when he started wearing the Zoom Soldier VII on court on a regular basis. Do you agree that you wouldn’t be happy buying a shoe because the player wasn’t wearing them?
@sneakernews no I think the LeBron 11’s are amazing.. Actually I’m wearing some right now!
— Ryland Alms (@RylandAlms) June 16, 2014
@sneakernews No, the shoe is great and ahead of its time. Some colorways are ehh but overall a winner for me! #SNdiscussion
— BIG STRESS (@BIGSTRESSRADIO) June 16, 2014
For some, whether or not LeBron James wore the shoe didn’t affect their positive opinion on the shoe. The King’s Pride colorway, which dropped long before LeBron’s inability to wear the shoe became an issue, was sold out in stores immediately, and many other colorways became scarce as well.
@sneakernews 100% yes. Its clear he favors the Soldier VII. So if i’m looking for a basketball shoe to play in …………………
— Sabotage27 (@sabotage271) June 16, 2014
@sneakernews No but I did start looking harder at those Soldiers
— Savage Nupe (@youngdub774) June 16, 2014
Casual basketball players look to their favorite ballers for sneaker suggestions (think the entire “Like Mike” campaign). We can agree that those individuals took a second look at the the Soldier VII since LeBron favored them so much, and even Nike went the extra mile with special edition colorways for the shoe.
@sneakernews just one, Kings Pride since realising they need more cushioning after a few wears
— Rosaria (@Saria__) June 16, 2014
@sneakernews Nope the toe box had no room but the Elite pair had plenty. Love the design of both styles though. — Soup (@Soupworld) June 16, 2014
Looks like LeBron wasn’t the only one with issues; toe-box room and cushioning seem to be the culprits for these guys here. Or are their opinions on fit being influenced by LeBron as well?
no.. my wallet did RT @sneakernews: Did LeBron James NOT wearing the LeBron 11 affect your decisions to purchase the shoe? #SNdiscussion
— BIKINIBADDIESJUNE28 (@Russ_Mac876) June 16, 2014
It appeared that LeBron’s inability to wear them wasn’t the deciding factor, it was the price. The Nike LeBron 11 retailed at an astounding $200 (that’s $220 in states with robust sales tax), but with many pairs being offered by retailers at discounted prices, the shoes seem to be getting a bit more attention.
