Time does fly, and LeBron James has been in the NBA for close to two decades already. That being said, it was time for Nike to make the Lebron XX official as The King’s 20th signature sneaker.
For the first time in the main LeBron signature line, the LeBron XX opts for a low-cut design, while still featuring Air Zoom Turbo for the forefoot, Zoom Air for the heel. The Lebron XX has a carbon fiber midfoot shank–the first time since the Lebron 5. The knitted upper features a Double Swoosh design, crown logo on the heel, and LeBron’s signature on the tongue. Completing the look is a multidirectional outsole pattern.
The LeBron XX has references to previous signature models, and Nike Senior Footwear Designer Jason Patrie explains that the sneaker aims to celebrate the next generation–which is evident with the stitched tag in the tongue that says “Designed and Engineered to the Exact Specifications of the Next Generation”.
“We took that line seriously as we designed the shoe. We had players like LeBron’s sons Bronny and Bryce in mind. We wanted to get in their heads and learn about what young players were looking for,” Petrie explains.
The LeBron XX’s low-top design is inspired by the Soldier 10, while the collar lining is inspired by the Air Zoom Generation–aka the first LeBron sneaker. Completing the references of past models include the Dunkman logo on the outsole–which was last seen on the LeBron 16.
The LeBron XX will debut in the “Time Machine” colorway on September 29, with more colorways releasing during the holidays.
