Saquon Barkley was a treat to watch in the Eagles’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars! The running back’s performance in Monday’s matchup wasn’t just stunning to see for the NFL fans, but also sneakerheads! While his unbelievable reverse hurdle awed the NFL world, many, including NBA icon LeBron James, had their sights set on the running back’s cleats.
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In a heroic moment during the game, Barkley caught a pass from Jalen at the 45-yard line and gained at least 9 yards by evading defenders left and right. What was most interesting, however, was when he pulled off a spectacular backward hurdle over the cornerback behind him, Jarrian Jones.
It was a superhuman play, and LeBron praised the running back for his insane athleticism. However, since the RB was donning his cleats, the NBA icon also made a clever reference.
Posting a photo of Barkley’s insane reverse hurdle, James wrote, “Must be the shoes!!” — a reference to the dialogue in Nike’s 1989 throwback commercial for Michael Jordan’s footwear. James is indirectly saying it’s not the shoes, but the running back’s athletic prowess. While, of course, promoting his brand.
Barkley’s sneakers are from the power forward’s custom pair of ‘Metallic Silver’ Nike LeBron IV Menace 3 cleats line, which the NBA star was quick to point out. He also lauded the running back, tagging him and writing, “@saquon you’re insane!!” along with an array of emojis.
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Fans took notice of this exchange and were quick to express their amazement at the RB’s acrobatic move and James’ comment. One fan compared Barkley to a mix between a dancer and a martial artist, writing,
“This man was in ballet as a boy because what in Jackie Chan kind of move was that!”
Another fan couldn’t help but wonder how the running back even pulled off the insane backward hurdle.
“like what are you even thinking about to even do sum like dis “
Many fans even praised James for his clever promotion of his cleats brand, predicting how the sneaker sales are going to skyrocket after this shoutout.
“@kingljames Marketing genius.”
“Nike sales this week (chart increasing emojji)”
Notably, James’ cleats are gaining traction and were recently spotted all over the NFL, donned by stars like Ja’Marr Chase and Caleb Willimas.
LeBron James’ football venture
The Lakers star’s partnership with Nike has decided to dip its toes into the NFL with their modified version of their iconic signature basketball shoes. The football line pleased Barkley‘s sneakerhead side, which is quite clear. However, the running back has been donning the footwear since last season.
In the Eagles’ 2023 playoffs, he was spotted wearing Nike Zoom Generation cleats, which are a nod to James’ first iconic shoe. This season’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, is another frequent attendee at Lakers games and was seen wearing the NBA star’s LeBron 4s during his USC days. Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. also donned LeBron’s cleats at Ohio State.
James had also taken the initiative to gift his sneakers to Ja’Marr Chase and Kyler Murray. While the Bengals WR recently showcased his “Fruity Pebbles” Nike LeBron 4 Vapor Edge, the Cardinals’ QB received the 2006 Nike LeBron 4s from the power forward.
