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The 21st model of LA Lakers superstar LeBron James’ signature Nike basketball shoe is set to be released worldwide on September 28. The shoe’s release comes eight years after James signed his historic $1 billion lifetime contract with Nike in 2015.
The shoe, titled the “Nike LeBron 21,” is inspired by James’ eight-year-old daughter, Zhuri James, and is reportedly designed for the next generation of hoopers.
As for the specs of the Nike LeBron 21, it has an oyster-shell styled venting which is designed to contain explosive movements. The shoe also has a mono-mesh base layered with 360 degrees of zonal cables to offer extra foot support.
Regarding the soles of the shoe, it sports a Zoom Turbo unit and a bottom-loaded, 13-millimeter Zoom unit to support propulsion. It also features a full-length Cushlon 2.0 foam for added comfort as well as a TPU midfoot shank for increased stability and burst.
Jason Petrie, the lead designer of the Nike LeBron 21, recently spoke about the shoe’s design ahead of its release. Petrie said that the shoe features minor tweaks to the previous model that better complement James’ play style at 38 years old:
“As we took our next steps from the LeBron XX, we were inspired by the way LeBron maintains his body and his game during the offseason.
“His trainer says it’s like taking care of an F1 car. You tweak the car between each race. You don’t need to rebuild the car completely. We wanted to retain some of the elements we know he loved, like the Zoom Turbo unit, but refine some of the finishes in the upper.”
Upon its release, the Nike LeBron 21 will be made available at a retail price of $200 for adult sizes.
LeBron James on his $1 billion lifetime deal with Nike
After signing his record-breaking $1 billion lifetime deal with Nike in 2015, LeBron James spoke about how he felt to receive such a lucrative contract:
“I'm very humble, man.
“It's been an unbelievable time for myself and my family, and I'm just grateful that Nike and Phil Knight [Nike founder] and everyone over there just believed in a skinny-old, skinny 18-year-old kid from Akron, Ohio, and I'm happy to be a part of such a great company.”
James also spoke about how much he appreciated the company for sticking with him throughout his entire NBA career:
“It meant a lot to me even when I signed my first deal just to be with Nike, and it means even more that they've given me this.
“It's like I said, very humbling and grateful, and I'm going to continue to do my job and represent the brand the best way I can, like I know how. Hopefully, people see that.”
Meanwhile, Nike also issued a statement at the time regarding the company’s excitement to work alongside James for the foreseeable future:
“We can confirm that we have agreed to a lifetime relationship with LeBron that provides significant value to our business, brand and shareholders.
“We have already built a strong LeBron business over the past 12 years, and we see the potential for this to continue to grow throughout his playing career and beyond.”
