This year, LeBron James signed a lifetime deal with Nike, meaning that it isn't likely his Nike LeBron line is going to end anytime soon. It's already the longest running Nike Basketball signature line out there, with 13 flagship sneakers and a good number of spin-offs releasing to date. What are the highlights of the Nike LeBron line so far? Which pairs deserve to be retroed the most when that inevitably happens years down the line? We've ranked all 13 Nike LeBrons. But, this isn't a typical sneaker ranking.
Instead of letting one of our own handle the duties, we're passing this one off to Complex social media guru Shelby Calvert. The thing is that she knows nothing about sneakers, so her choices won't be influenced in the same way the choices of a sneakerhead would be. See her selections below and feel free to ridicule them in the comments section.
DISCLAIMER: Before you rip me apart in my mentions know this, I LOVE LEBRON JAMES. Being from Kentucky, college basketball is ingrained in my DNA—the NBA, well, not so much. When I moved to northeast Ohio for college [wuddup Wooster] EVERYONE was Cavs/LBJ obsessed, so I was like fuck it, I'm down. Went to a few Cavs games, followed Queen Savannah on Instagram, and even wept for the state of Ohio when he announced he was "Coming Home." So, without further ado, these are LeBron James' sneakers ranked.
14.
This year, LeBron James signed a lifetime deal with Nike, meaning that it isn't likely his Nike LeBron line is going to end anytime soon. It's already the longest running Nike Basketball signature line out there, with 13 flagship sneakers and a good number of spin-offs releasing to date. What are the highlights of the Nike LeBron line so far? Which pairs deserve to be retroed the most when that inevitably happens years down the line? We've ranked all 13 Nike LeBrons. But, this isn't a typical sneaker ranking.
Instead of letting one of our own handle the duties, we're passing this one off to Complex social media guru Shelby Calvert. The thing is that she knows nothing about sneakers, so her choices won't be influenced in the same way the choices of a sneakerhead would be. See her selections below and feel free to ridicule them in the comments section.
DISCLAIMER: Before you rip me apart in my mentions know this, I LOVE LEBRON JAMES. Being from Kentucky, college basketball is ingrained in my DNA—the NBA, well, not so much. When I moved to northeast Ohio for college [wuddup Wooster] EVERYONE was Cavs/LBJ obsessed, so I was like fuck it, I'm down. Went to a few Cavs games, followed Queen Savannah on Instagram, and even wept for the state of Ohio when he announced he was "Coming Home." So, without further ado, these are LeBron James' sneakers ranked.
13.Nike Zoom LeBron 2
Good God, this is the ugliest sneaker I have ever seen. Who the fuck approved this? It looks like a TJ Maxx special that no one buys and it just sits on the shelf. I don't mind the velcro strip over it [I don't know the proper sneaker term] but WHYYYY LEBRON, JUST WHYYYY? It's also a weird height—it's not a low top and it's not a high top. No, just no. Why was this made?
12.Nike Air Zoom Generation
When I see this sneaker I cringe. No, I literally make the Chrissy Tiegen cringe face. What. Is. This? The silhouette kind of looks like one of those toypedos you used to play with in the pool when you were little. The laces are awkwardly spaced and it reminds me of something my dad would wear. [No disrespect daddy, ILYSM.]
11.Nike LeBron 10
WTF is up with all these sneakers having such bulky soles? This may or may not be what Neil Armstrong wore when he landed on the moon. The soles look so buoyant you could probably hop along the moon's surface pretty comfortably in them [IDK though, never been]. From the air ventilating mesh cutouts to the awkward heel and tongue—just no. They're just sooo, ermmmm, awkward.
10.Nike Zoom LeBron 6
Again, bulky soles and weird height. Although this sole is not only bulky and heavy looking, it's flat, a la Converse Chuck Taylors. Does it offer support? Can you walk around NYC [or Akron] all day wearing it and not have sore, tired, swollen feet after? I don't know and I don't plan on finding out—its flat sole directly resembles how I feel about it.
9.Nike LeBron 12
Another moon shoe, but with wayyyyyy more going on. I hate the plastic panels—they take away from the mesh detailing, which I don't mind. They look so incredibly cheap. And let's be honest, I'm sure they aren't. It looks like they just gave up halfway through the design process and were like "Oh fuck it." So, fuck it, next.
8.Nike LeBron 11
Another moon shoe. I'm bored, next.
7.Nike Zoom LeBron 4
FINALLY NO MORE SPACE SNEAKERS! And oh my god, what is happening? I can't decide if I love this or hate this, which is why it's in the middle. Part of me is like wow, LeBron really did the damn thing. The other part of me is like wow, this looks like a plastic building block. These remind me of the Nike Air More Uptempo [obviously had to Google "black Nike with 'AIR' letters"]. Yeah, I don't really know. I've been staring at it for 15 minutes and can't decide how I feel. I'm torn.
6.Nike Zoom LeBron 5
One word immediately comes to mind when I see these: sleek. You notice the person wearing these has on nice kicks, but he doesn't look like one of those thirst buckets who sits on their computer waiting for the next "restock," or even worse, stands in line for two days hoping to "cop" the latest sneaker Kanye cosigned. [LOL SMH WTF are you all doing with your lives.]
5.Nike LeBron 8
Alas, a modern looking style that I like. I love the airy sole, the contrasting panels, and the splattered-paint effect lining the bottom of the sneaker—though I'm not obsessed with the overly-detailed tongue. This sneaker is A+ from the back, C- from the front. I think I've found the "butter-face" of this line.
4.Nike Air Max LeBron 7
Just like the previous sneaker, but riskier and more exciting—the non butter-face version essentially. I'm obsessed with the criss-cross detailing contrasted with the thick, solid lining and the patent leather—yas yas yassss! They look comfortable and supportive which is, after all, the whole point of a sneaker right? RIGHT?
3.Nike LeBron 9
High-top? Check. Air soles? Check. Perfectly unique tongue? Check. Perfectly proportioned heel-to-top-line ratio? Check. I love how they are built up on the side with a low heel—would definitely make my legs look good. Check. It has an old-school vibe that reminds me of the Reebok Pumps my dad used to wear. Check.
2.Nike LeBron 13
This is what happens when the moon sneakers [which I hate] and the previous three [which I love] collide. THEY'RE SO SWAGGY. The silhouette is sexy, the fabric is luxe, and the peek-a-boo arch is everything. I LOVE THIS. The tongue is understated yet over-the-top. [I mean it has LBJ's autograph on it for the love of God.] The heel is well thought out and executed perfectly. Yes, LeBron, just yes.
1.Nike Zoom LeBron 3
NUMBER 1, WE MADE IT. When I initially scrolled through all thirteen of LeBron's sneakers I was automatically drawn to this one. It's a classic. This is the kind of sneaker that never goes out of style. It will still be "cool" in ten years, whereas the futuristic, more intricate sneakers—mehhh, not so much. The patent leather against the suede background is subtle, the laces and tongue are simple and clean. I actually want this shoe [size 7 LeBron, pleeeeasseeee, especially after your billion dollar deal, pleeeeeaseee, ILYSM].