Since 1985, Michael Jordan has stood alone as the king of sneakers. His Air Jordan shoe line has grossed over $800 million for Nike and remains the most sought after sneaker five years after Jordan’s retirement. But when Nike presented LeBron James with a $90 million contract after he was drafted in 2003, it became apparent that the shoe company was investing in a guy who could take over as the heir to the sneaker throne. Rolling out sports recently caught up with G-Roc of theshoegame.com to discuss the impression that LeBron James’ signature sneaker has had on the athletic shoe industry. –a.r. shaw
LeBron James wore Adidas in high school and Reebok made a strong push for him once he was drafted into the NBA. Why do you think he chose Nike?
Nike is a powerhouse because most of the top athletes choose to sign with Nike. With LeBron James, he grew up idolizing Michael Jordan so I think that had a strong influence on his decision to sign with Nike.
Does LeBron James have the top sneaker out amongst active players in the NBA?
LeBron does have the number one shoe out right now. Nike is putting a lot more money in advertising and the marketing of his shoes. I commend Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony for having their own signature shoe under the Jordan Brand, but the LeBron’s are on another level. He is already on his seventh signature shoe. There are so many LeBron shoes out there. There are a lot of LeBron collectors who are dedicated to his shoes. He has a strong following and he is at the top at this moment.
How does LeBron James’ signature line compare with Air Jordans?
I see the same pattern with LeBron James’ sneakers because Nike is using more innovation and technology to create the shoe — as they did with the Air Jordans. LeBron’s signature shoe is the only sneaker that I would compare to Air Jordans. Not to say they are better than Air Jordans, but they are following in the same footsteps.
What type of impact do you expect LeBron’s shoes to have in the future?
The LeBron’s will get better. I think the Air Max LeBron 7 will be a sneaker that will get a lot of attention this year. In the future, I’m curious to see how many signature shoes he will have. At 24, he’s still young. I’m looking forward to seeing better designs. As long as LeBron stays with Nike, I think he will continue to release innovative shoes.
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