Finding the right basketball shoes can be tricky; there are factors that need to be considered aside from the usual fit, price, performance and overall cool element.
The new Nike LeBron 16, though, has everything covered.
LeBron James, who announced the birth of the shoe through his social media accounts, is expected to debut his 16th signature sneaker when he opens his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
The shoe boasts of a sleek design that is perfectly encapsulated in the Battleknit 2.0 upper, which is essentially a stronger and sturdier Flyknit variation. The sneaker’s overall streamlined silhouette makes it suitable to be worn on casual occasions and not just on the basketball courts.
Nike’s Ekin Soy Soriano said the LeBron 16 is perfectly suited for players, both who play basketball for a living and recreationally, who go full charge in the court.
“LeBron is really about coming out in force and you can’t have force if you don’t have strength so the LeBron 16 is built for the strong,” said Soriano.
Supporting those powerful movements is the LeBron 16’s cushioning system that is a combination of Max Air and Zoom Air.
The Max Air takes care of the handling the player’s weight during landings while the Zoom Air takes care of the ground-based movements like sprinting and cutting.
Soriano added that the shoe’s aesthetics are a testament to James’ impact outside of basketball.
James recently opened his I Promise school that was built for at-risk children in James’ hometown of Akron Ohio.
“LeBron wants to be bigger than basketball and that means he wants to go outside the lines of basketball,” said Soriano.