Nike LeBron 17 review

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Who should buy the Nike LeBron 17

The LeBron 17 is good for players who do a lot of rebounds and other forceful jumps because of the high level of impact protection that its cushioning system gives.

Those who are OK to not feel the court so much and love the sensation of ‘walking on air’ might enjoy this model. 

Who should NOT buy the LeBron 17

People who want lighter shoes should stay away from the LeBron 17, or any other LeBron shoe for that matter. They can opt for the lighter Under Armour Curry shoes instead. If they don’t mind lower collars, they can also go for Kyrie Irving’s shoes or even Kobe Bryant’s, all of which are from Nike. 

Players who are quick on their feet and want lots of court feel are also not the best users of the 17th LeBron. The same can be said about heavier players who do a lot of ball handling. They can place their bets on shoes like the Nike Kyrie 7.

Nike LeBron 17 vs Nike LeBron 16

The Nike LeBron 16 appears to be the better option. To be more specific, here is what the Nike LeBron 17 brings to the table: 

Slippage warning

Truth be told, we didn't feel confident in the shoe's grip at all times throughout the game. Even though the traction wasn't disastrous, it’s this inconsistency that makes the LeBron 17’s traction dangerous. So, try at your own risk!

GREAT impact protection but NO court feel

What the Nike LeBron 17 does really well is absorb the impact during jumps and forceful movements. With its large Zoom Air unit, this Nike shoe has an explosive setup offering tonnes of bounce and cushioning.

But do keep in mind that it comes with a price - the court feel is virtually non-existent.  

Too spacious toe box

We found that the shoe's fir is pretty solid because the LeBron 17 conformed to our feet very nicely.

Materials feel nice in the LeBron 17

We also loved the feel of the shoe’s Knitposite upper. It is amazingly cosy and offers flexibility and sturdiness in the right areas.

We also love the padding on some key areas, which gets the job done excellently by holding the ankle securely in place.

Support is inconsistent

Even though the shoe feels rather tall because of its huge cushioning units, we still experienced sufficient stability on lateral cuts. Perhaps even more so than the previous LeBron models.

These shoes are heavy!

The LeBron 17 is even slightly heavier than the 16. 

• Nike LeBron 16 (men’s): 15.59 oz (442 g)
• Nike LeBron 17 (men’s): 16.16 oz (458 g)

Even so, both still feel pretty damn heavy. Although we've made peace with the fact that weight is part of every Nike LeBron shoe experience, the LeBron 17 kind of felt lighter than we expected.  

Nike LeBron is expensive!

That’s one expensive shoe! Even for a premium-level hoop shoe, the original MSRP is pretty steep and can lead to pretty heavy damage to the buyer’s pocket.