LeBron James may have 20 exclusive sneakers – almost no one except him wear his shoes.
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Basketball Sneakers only have two extremes – they either look like Walmart shoes, or they look like Transformers. LeBron James chose the latter, and for almost a decade, his shoes have looked like they were transformers in disguise. For years King James’ lineup was “forced futuristic” and now that almost nobody professional wears his sneakers, it was time for an overhaul.
The most worn shoes on the court are the Kobe lineup – either the feeling of his passing hasn’t gone away just yet, or those shoes are just that good. Big men with ankle issues still stick to the low-cut Kobes, because they are just that good. LeBron is not getting any younger, and the legacy of his sneakers may very well come to an end with him.
The brand needed a refresh, and it was a long time coming. The LeBron 9s and 10s were exquisite – their design was unmatched and people were thronging to buy them. Fast forward to today, and some of his models end up in outlet stores. That is why the new lineup/ LeBron 20s look like a complete 180 to what his signature line usually looks like.
Rebranding the shoe design could work out very well for LeBron. He’s a billionaire and everything, but his shoe line isn’t usually mentioned when you think of his net worth. Rebranding to this design could up the stock add add to his net worth even more.
The new shoe debuts in an all-pink color, similar to Kevin Durant‘s Aunt Pearls. The highlight of the shoe seems to be the silver swoosh, that is not wrapped around but sticks out like the swoosh from the Ambush Nike Dunk.
LeBron James needs a dramatic turnaround in multiple ways this season – he’s only got potentially one last season with the Lakers
The LeBron lineup had the Zoom soldier and his signature lineup – both were doing very poorly. For an athlete that commands a $1 billion valuation and a lifetime Nike deal, dramatic changes were needed. This approach seems to have gained some brownie points with the fans.
But fans seem to want to know know what the swoosh is doing sticking out that way. Every shoe has to adhere to a certain norm, and a silver swoosh sticking out that way may not make the best of a first impression.
The funny part about LeBrons is that they sometimes run narrow. Not a good look for a shoe that is worn exclusively by big men. The 19 seemed to have the same problem, even though it looked like an elephant’s foot.
Hopefully, the new lineup sparks a comeback for the King – he desperately needs it.
