LeBron James

LeBron James is professional basketball player who started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Before his first official game as a professional, LeBron James inked a multi-year shoe contract with sports-apparel conglomerate Nike. LeBron James’ first signature shoe, the Nike Air Zoom Generation, debuted during the Cleveland Cavaliers 03-’04 Season opener against the Sacramento Kings. In the preseason before his first official game, LeBron, also known as King James, wore the Nike Zoom 2K3, the Nike Ultramatic, Air Jordan III (3) Retro, and the Air Jordan IX (9) Retro.

Since the release of the Nike Air Zoom Generation, six more LeBron James signature shoes have released with accompanying Low-top versions, and each design was as advanced as it is aesthetically groundbreaking. The LeBron line has used a wide variety of Nike Technology, like Foamposite (LeBron IV), Flywire (LeBron VII), Phyposite (LeBron V), and Carbon Fiber (LeBron VI). The LeBron signature line represents the new age of Nike Basketball technology for the future of the NBA, and with seven signature shoes in seven seasons, the LBJ23 looks to have a shelf-life that may be on par the Air Jordan line.

In addition to the Nike LeBron signature line exists a number of sub-signature lines, like the Nike LeBron Soldier, Nike LBJ Ambassador, and Nike 20-5-5. The Nike LeBron Soldier line is primarily used for LeBron James’ playoff appearances; LeBron James wore the Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 1 during his NBA Finals run in 2007. The Nike LBJ Ambassador line is exclusive to Asia and offers a lower pricepoint for those who may not be able to afford the high retail price of the LeBron signature shoe. Lastly, the Nike Zoom LeBron 20-5-5 was a hardcore basketball shoe that was a player-favorite. Unfortunately, the 20-5-5 never saw a sequel, but still remains a cult-hit.

The LeBron James name crossed over into the realm of lifestyle sneakers as well, as a number of colourways of the Nike Air Force 1 have released over the years. Most notably, in 2005, a collection of six Air Force 1s titled the Chamber of Fear released with special colourways and Chinese lettering on the rear heel, each representing a source of fear to LeBron James. Each pair was very limited and fetches a premium on the resale market. Along with the limited Chamber of Fear Air Force 1, a number of Air Force 1 Premiums in LeBron-inspired colourways have released.

Individuals like LeBron James do not come often. In fact, since Michael Jordan, there has been no other player that had the worldwide fame with the game to back it up. LeBron James is very much marketable to all ages and groups, and Nike has taken advantage of James’ stardom, which will result in a new legacy of Nike Basketball for the sneaker culture to enjoy.

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