MANILA, Philippines – He is the NBA King.
Now, Lebron James obtained another title: He’s the king of sneakers.
According to Forbes, James’ signature shoes raked in $340 million in sales from January of 2014 to January of 2015, an up of 13 percent from the period prior.
James has 12 signature shoes in the LeBron line, the latest is the LeBron XII.
His fellow Nike endorser, Kevin Durant is at second with $195 million, a raise of 11 percent from the prior year.
Durant’s newest version of the KD is the KD VII.
Nike was in danger of losing Durant after his initial contract expired and signed him to a 10-year, $300 million extension which includes royalties.
It is the highest endorsement contract in sports history.
Rumors circulated at the end of Durant’s contract that Under Armour might sign him.
Kobe Bryant, another Nike endorser, is the biggest gainer from 2013 to 2014 as his Kobe line raked in $105 million, third in the list.
From $50 million the year before, the Kobe line’s meteoric rise got some serious help from China where Bryant is intensely popular.
Incorporating Nike’s Flyknit technology in its new signature shoes helped as the Kobe 9 got pushed to the $200 range.
The LeBron XII is priced at $200, the Kobe X at $180 and the KD VII $150.
Here are the full results, with brands, according to SportsScanInfo.
Signature Shoe Sales 2014
LeBron James: $340 million (Nike)
Kevin Durant: $195 million (Nike)
Kobe Bryant: $105 million (Nike)
Chris Paul: $32 million (Nike/Jordan)
Derrick Rose: $32 million (Adidas)
Carmelo Anthony: $30 million (Nike/Jordan)
John Wall: $8 million (Adidas)
Dwight Howard: $1.5 million (Adidas)
Up and Comers
Kyrie Irving: $7 million (Nike). Shoe released in Dec.
Damian Lillard: $1.8 million (Adidas). Shoe released in Jan.
Source: SportScanInfo