5 Best Nike Lebron Basketball Shoes in 2023

Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic on
5 Best Nike Lebron Basketball Shoes in 2023
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LeBron James isn’t called ‘The King’ for nothing. His signature basketball shoes dominate the market as much as he dominates the court.

With over 20 LeBron models available on the market, we have reviewed them all to select the best. Whether you are after a low-top, a shoe for playing outdoors, or a more budget-friendly signature shoe, we have selected the top picks in each of these categories.

To learn more about LeBron James and his basketball shoe collections, check out the guide sections below.

How we test basketball shoes

The best Nike Lebron basketball shoes are ranked according to their CoreScore. A corescore is an aggregate numerical assessment that is based on reviews by players, expert reviewers, and even ordinary users.

Best Nike Lebron basketball shoes overall

Nike Lebron 20
95
Superb!

What makes it the best?

A Nike LeBron shoe is considered synonymous with quality. Hence, it requires a lot to rise above all the Nike LeBron kicks in our inventory. We’ve experienced how the LeBron 20 doesn’t hold back on durability, grip, and even court feel! Hence, we crown it as the reigning king in LeBron James’s Nike arsenal.

The Dremel test results on this shoe are impressive. We subjected the toe area of the upper to aggressive friction, which is way more than what guys normally experience on-court. No hole in sight after that. With this, we dare say that even frequent toe draggers can’t break down this shoe’s upper.

We thoroughly enjoyed a consistent grip in a good number of games. But we were more surprised by the amount of responsiveness that this shoe delivers. Using a durometer, we learned that the cushion is only 7% softer than average. This is a big thing since Nike LeBrons have always been big on compression to the detriment of court feel. The LeBron 20 breaks tradition as it offers a more balanced responsiveness-cushioning experience.

The width of the forefoot is worth the mention. Most shoes aren’t really for wide feet, but the LeBron 20 again deviates from this trend. Our caliper measurements show that this shoe adds almost 4mm to the forefoot width. With this, it should be clear that this is not a shoe for the narrow-footed.

Pros

  • Amazing overall performance
  • Great traction
  • Tremendous impact protection
  • Pronounced court feel
  • Dependable bounciness
  • Comfortable upper
  • Incredible foot containment
  • Stylishly streamlined looks

Cons

  • Not for outdoors
  • Has to be broken in
Full review of Nike Lebron 20

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Unisex
Any color
White/metallic gold/black/univ (DJ5423100)
Orange (DJ5423800)
Light silver/hyper royal-lemon chiffon-safety orange (DJ5423002)
901 olive/brown-white (DV1193901)
Red (DV1193600)
Black/university red/universit (DJ5423001)
Green (FJ4955300)
Multi-color/Multi-color (DR8784900)
More colors

Best Nike Lebron basketball shoes

What makes it the best?

The Lebron 17 Low is an elite performer due to its high-end cushioning setup, fantastic traction, and superb lockdown. The minor area of warning is the undersized fit and the high retail price point. The sleek minimal low-top setup was super appealing to me style-wise. For any players that like a beastly loaded cushioning setup and can find these at a suitable price, I’d highly recommend pulling the trigger on them!

Pros

  • Top-tier cushioning
  • Fantastic lockdown
  • Fits snug with great support
  • Trustworthy traction to stop on a dime
  • Breathable
  • Durable materials

Cons

  • Break-in period needed
  • Not for outdoor play
  • Pricey
Full review of Nike Lebron 17 Low

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Unisex
Any color
White (CD5007101)
Black/White-Multi-Color (CD5007002)
003 black/black dark grey black (CD5007003)
White/White-university Red (CD5007100)
005 spruce aura/black/racer blue (CD5007005)
Black/university red/dark grey (CD5007001)
Red (CD5008600)
004 particle grey/white-light smok (CD5007004)
More colors

Best Nike Lebron basketball shoes for outdoor

What makes it the best?

Up to a certain extent, the LeBron Witness 7 is practically just the Nike LeBron 20 made less pricey and more suitable for outdoor use. From aspects that are truly important such as traction and cushioning down to matters that are only peripherally valuable such as looks, you can count on the LeBron Witness 7 to deliver and satisfy you.

Pros

  • Remarkable overall performance
  • Highly effective traction
  • Impressive impact protection
  • Optimum comfort
  • Reliable heel lockdown
  • A lot of lateral stability
  • Great outdoor option
  • Accommodates wide feet well
  • Fashionable design

Cons

  • So-so court feel
  • Still has to be broken in
  • Overly stretchy forefoot materials
Full review of Nike Lebron Witness 7

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Unisex
Any color
White/Metallic Silver-black (DM1123100)
002 black/lilac/court purple/university gold (DM1123002)
Purple (DM1123500)
003 grey fog/cobblestone/laser blue/hyper pink (DM1123003)
001 black/bright crimson/alligator/barely volt (DM1123001)
Blue (DM1123400)
Black (DM1123004)
Vivid Purple/Sea Coral/Oxygen Purple/Black (DM1123501)
More colors

Best Nike Lebron basketball shoes

What makes it the best?

This shoe will be very popular amongst all age groups of basketball players and for good reason. The plethora of colorways will offer good value propositions when they go on sale. No shoe is perfect and for the LeBron Soldier XII that I tested, the wear and tear on these shoes may become evident if you play hard in them.

Pros

  • Good traction
  • Nice fit
  • Adjustable straps
  • Wiggle room for the toes
  • Breathable
  • Looks great
  • Comfy cushion
  • Supportive

Cons

  • Squeaking sound
  • Not durable
Full review of Nike LeBron Soldier 12

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Unisex
Any color
White/Multi-Color (AO4053100)
Red (AT3872600)
White/Midnight Navy-Mineral Yellow-White (AO4054100)
Light Bone/Light Bone (AO2609002)
Multi (AO4054800)
Black/Black (AO2609003)
Black/White (AO4054004)
Black University Red Black (AV3812004)
More colors

Comparison of the 5 best Nike Lebron basketball shoes

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Best
CoreScore
Users rating
Experts
Best price
Ranking
Popularity
# of colorways

Are LeBron shoes right for you?

Signature shoes are designed to suit the very specific needs of the players that they are named after. Consequently, Nike LeBron shoes are perfect for you if you have LeBron James’s physical characteristics and playing style.

Player profile

Tall and huge, James is easily among the league’s most standout players:

Height

6’8”

Weight

250 lbs

Position Played

SF/PF/SG/PG

Playing style

In spite of his size, James is still quite flexible on the court. He assumes positions normally occupied by smaller players such as Stephen Curry. Yet, his playing style is much more aggressive, mowing down defenders rather than gliding through them. This requires much more brute force, and less of the shiftiness and agility common in smaller players.

The different Nike LeBron collections

James has at least three lines of Nike signature shoes available in the United States.

lebron-17-vs-lebron-18.jpg

Collection

Description

Key Characteristics

Nike LeBron

LeBron James’s main line; every release usually bears a new Nike technology

  • Heavy
  • Technologically up-to-date
  • Premium materials
  • Pricey

Nike LeBron Soldier

A line of LeBron shoes that focus on lockdown and support.

  • Heavy
  • Supportive
  • Usually with strap
  • Slightly cheaper than the Nike LeBrons

Nike LeBron Witness

This is LeBron James’s line of more affordable takedown models

  • Lighter
  • Cheaper than all other LeBron shoes

Styling with the best LeBron shoes

Nike LeBron basketball shoes are as pretty as they are high-performing. They are of use even when you are off the court.

Low, mid, or high? Pick what you want.

James is usually seen donning high-tops or mid-tops on the court. Even if he does not wear them in his games, Nike LeBrons are still available in low-top versions. In fact, some of his other shoes debuted as among the league’s most anticipated low-tops

Know your color

LeBron shoes are available in hundreds if not thousands of colorways. However, there are a few that regularly get referenced: 

Black History Month. James is known for his activism. His signature lines pay homage to the triumphs of people of color through the Black History Month (BHM) colorways. Shoes for Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Paul George are also given the  BHM treatment.

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. James regularly pays his respects to his alma mater through green SVSM iterations.

James’s current team. The NBA team that James plays for automatically gets a special colorway, which usually features that team’s characteristic hues.

lacing-lebron-18.jpg

LeBron shoes: Are they worth their price?

It’s no secret that the best LeBron shoes are also among the priciest basketball shoes in the market. They are up there with Michael Jordan’s sneakers

So that buyers get their money’s worth when they get LeBron’s shoes, Nike makes sure that it is equipped with highly advanced shoe technologies. Some of these techs are used only on LeBron sneakers.

Techs used only on LeBron basketball shoes

Battleknit

Innovated from Flyknit, Battleknit becomes increasingly stiff at the midfoot where stability is most needed. This is used in the LeBron 15.

Battleknit 2.0

For the LeBron 16, Battleknit gets an upgrade. Its tensile strength is increased to provide even more lateral support.

Knitposite

First used on the LeBron 17, Knitposite is basically Flyknit infused with heat-molded yarn that makes it more durable and supportive.

 

Author
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic

Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 years. Like Manu Ginobili, he’s a left-hander whose moves led him to a better career-shooting percentage than the Argentine himself. After playing professionally for 10 years, Dimitrije moved to coaching for two seasons before he became a basketball statistician for StatScore, and FanSided contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Dimitrije loves to tell hoop stories through numbers and graphics and has been featured on Fansided, FiveThirtyEight, Eurohoops, and TalkBasket among the others.