“Material is thinner, traction seems very good, cushion is responsive, and i loved the aesthetics. They look almost as good as LeBron 20. For 40 $ cheaper than LeBron 20 these are definitely looking better.”
tinmy 2021
i love this gametinmy 2021
i love this gameNike LeBron Nxxt Gen Review 2023
Here is the summary of the Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen Review. For a detailed review, continue reading!
Our Verdict
Nike LeBon Nxxt Gen is an excellent supportive shoe. In addition to good support and lockdown, its cushion is responsive, and traction is reliable. So what more do I want if I can get a LeBron at a lower price? I liked the shoe performance. It’s a balanced basketball shoe. It is one of the best basketball shoes for kids.
Pros
- Dependable lockdown
- Consistent traction
- Excellent cushion
- A cheaper LeBron in budget with excellent performance
- Stable and very supportive sneaker
- Great lateral containment
- Very suitable for big guys and centers
Cons
- Bulky
- Upper material looks cheap
Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen comes in a white box with only two alphabets in black on the top, N and T; the rest I found by tilting the box as they are in white too. XX from the Nxxt reveals the time that LeBron completed with Swoosh company, that’s 20 years.
The sides of the box have a lion face, while the simplistic white box is slightly larger than the usual ones. The sneaker is Low-top, with a simple Mesh upper that you will notice right out of the box.
The double swoosh sign on the medial, where the bigger one has a geometric pattern, and the other is just a simple plastic piece. The lateral sides have another swoosh sign. The shoe silhouette completes with the tongue containing LBJ and Nike.
The translucent outsole pattern is the map of Akron, Ohio, where LeBron lived.
What’s Exciting About LeBron James’ Newest Signature line LeBron Nxxt Gen
Nike paves the way for the new generation into the sneaker world by introducing the latest LeBron sneaker line on the 20th anniversary of the contract with King LeBron.
It’s a perfect time to launch a signature line for a generation that loves speed and agility. So this sneaker is made to deliver the best shock absorption, durability, and control over the speed.
Well, I can’t state just one exciting thing for me. There are many good features. It’s a brand new line, which feels so much lighter.
As they said, it’s for the next Gen, so a Newbie can’t comfortably hoop in for so long and switch to another line. Because those are made explicitly for His style, His move, keep reading to know the answers.
LeBron Nxxt Gen Facts
1. Traction:
Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen’s traction pattern is a unique map pattern reminiscent of the area where LeBron lived. Traction is very consistent for hard stops.
It grips the clean indoor basketball courts well, and the grooves stick perfectly on the hardwood floor. It’s a pattern engineered to pick up traction from any foot movement.
On the lateral moves, the traction is phenomenal for stopping at a dime and pivots. It goes well with the speed and agility of the present-day or next generation. For which it is made. So it caters to the purpose perfectly.
The translucent outsole instead of the rubber is used here. That picks up dust and is easy to clean. But still, you have to ensure its outsole is clean for continuous solid traction.
2. Cushion:
The Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen uses Zoom units in the forefoot and heel. The Zoom Air is under the heel, and the Zoom turbo unit is in the forefoot.
So Zoom Air never ceases to amaze me regarding its ability to give impact protection and heel comfort. It gives a nice bounce and responsiveness. So you are perfectly safe if you make a couple of heel dominant strikes in the game.
Zoom turbo in the forefoot completes the cutting-edge cushioning technology setup in LeBron shoes.
Both units are top loaded, and the underneath foam is thicker that’s not so high up the ground to compromise the court feel but gives decent impact protection.
The overall cushion is good and lightweight.
3. Material:
Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen used Combined mesh material to cover the top shoe area, reducing weight and improving breathability.
It’s a vast square and crisscross mesh different from the usual mesh materials used in sneakers. The toe box has a slight synthetic leather patch for added durability on more complex surfaces for toe draggers.
The ankle collar and tongue have minimum padding. But there are no ankle pillows to secure ankle areas. Even then, the Nxxt Gen Material feels very soft and comfortable.
4. Support:
Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen bends in half; that’s the only thing worrying me about the shoe support. Even though the TPU Plastic plate is a part of the midsole, torsional support is not above average.
But it has a prominent outrigger that is great for the containment of your feet on the footbed. The mid-top basketball shoe has a simple lacing system with two extra eyelets on the ankle part.
It hugs the ankle part when you tie the laces, and the heel part has a TPU heel counter for a perfect and secure lockdown. There is no heel slippage. All these features make the lateral stability and containment excellent.
5. Fit:
Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen is a snug-fit shoe. So a narrow footer should buy true-to-size fit while the medium and wide footer should at least buy half size up. Very wide feet players should buy a full size up than their actual size. It’s a narrow-fit shoe, so I bought half size up for me, and it’s good so far.
6. Looks / Appearance/ Colorways:
Faze Clan X, I Promise, and Wolf Grey are the colorways that are officially released from the Nike brand so far. I Promise being the coolest colorway that I got. Both shoe are in different colors and cross matching shoe laces.
I loved the aesthetics and minimal design and features of LeBron Nxxt Gen
7. Outdoor/Durability:
The LeBron nxxt Gen does not look so promising for the outdoors as its rubber grooves are on the softer side. So it will melt down soon on the heat and rough outdoor surfaces.
As far as you keep them for indoors, they are really good. Also the outdoor dust pickup will be higher thats not good for the traction.
The 160$ LeBron sneakers are best for indoor use. The only way to increase their life and longevity is to limit their use to indoors.
8. Breathability/Ventilation:
The Nike LeBron Nxxt Gen has upper mesh materials which is light weight minimal and breathable.
The combined mesh will allow the maximum airflow around the towbox. You wont feel sweatty on feet. Moreover its a great way to maintain foot hygeine and avoid bad smell.
9. User Review
LeBron Nxxt Gen is fresh air in the old lines of basketball sneakers. Nike did the best job stirring up some features and bringing up a suitable signature model in the mid-range for everybody to use. So for its best qualities, it’s getting a rating of solid 5 out of 5 from satisfied users.
10. Expert Review
“ Traction is amazing. But fit and lockdown are the best part. I liked how it feels on feet, and i felt its lockdown is better than LeBron 20. But 200$ are a lot to spend on them.”
Markches
“ if you can’t buy the LeBron 20s and ok with how the upper material is not premium. The cushion has good impact protection. The support of the upper is very nice. traction is excellent. Also, these are very lightweight sneakers. It’s the lightest LeBron from Nike.”
“Traction is good but picks up dust. Fit and support are nice too but once you flip, you flip entirely. Fit is narrow. By the time you use them, you loose a bit of comfort and get better lockdown.”
The Sole Drops
Hoka Clifton 9 Performance Review: The Best Clifton Ever
The Clifton line is a long-time favorite among running shoe enthusiasts and the Hoka Clifton 9 is the best Clifton yet. What did Hoka do to improve this long-time favorite of runners worldwide? Let’s find out.
Price: $145
Men’s Weight: 9.1 oz
Women’s Weight: 7.3 oz
Drop: 5mm (27mm forefoot, 32mm heel)
Sizing: True to Size
- Rundown: The Hoka Clifton 9 is the best Clifton to date. It’s the same great neutral cushioned shoe with added bounce and elasticity.
Midsole
The Hoka Clifton was basically the shoe that kicked off the high-stack running shoe craze. Back in the day, the original Clifton was something runners hadn’t ever seen before. Nowadays, the Hoka Clifton 9 doesn’t even qualify as a high-stack shoe. It’s still got a solid stack of foam but midsole stacks can be much much larger (see the New Balance SC Trainer and the Asics Superblast).
But despite not packing a big stack, the Hoka Clifton 9 is still soft and great for easy or recovery days. But Hoka tweaked the typical foam compound and now it’s more elastic and bouncy – a welcomed change.
We didn’t love previous Cliftons for long runs because they’d flatten out or feel dead by the end of 15+ miles and their overall life expectancy seemed to max out around the 120-mile mark (give or take). But the new foam seems livelier and feels like you’re still getting bounce even as you near 20 miles. The Clifton 9 works extremely well as a long run shoe. I imagine we’ll even see some pairs out on marathon courses due to the forgiving fit and all-around comfort.
Outsole
Another improvement is the outsole rubber. The durability in particular. A common complaint about previous Clifton models (and Hokas in general) was the tendency of the outsole to wear out early. But I think this new outsole will answer that critique. The rubber still grips well but didn’t take as much of a beating in our testing. It’s handling the miles better than previous iterations. The pattern is slightly different, not by much, but the real improvement seems to be the rubber compound itself. It’s going to stand up to plenty of wear.
Upper
The upper is still very comfortable but feels a little lighter and more breathable than the upper of the Clifton 8. This year the tongue is only gusseted on one side but that’s enough to prevent tongue slip and keep it in place for the long haul.
Is the Hoka Clifton 9 wide foot friendly?
Considering it comes in a wide version, yes! But the fit in this model is much better than last year and is not plagued by what many (us included) felt was an extreme narrowing in the toebox.
Is the Hoka Clifton 9 worth $145?
Absolutely. The Hoka Clifton 9 aligns quite nicely in terms of performance and attributes with other high performing shoes in the $140-$160 price range like the Asics Novablast 3, Brooks Glycerin 20, Asics Glideride 3, Air Jordna 1 Mid, New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4, and Saucony Triumph 20.
Cons
There’s not much in the way of negative aspects of the Hoka Clifton 9. If you use the shoe as intended…for jogging, easy running, recovery runs, and long runs then you shouldn’t run into any issues. The arch support feels a bit more exaggerated vs. older models, but it actually complements the ride and rocker sensation, so while some may find it too aggressive, we feel like it works.
Hoka Clifton 9 Summary
The Hoka Clifton 9 is 100% the best Clifton ever. It’s not particularly close either. The signature Clifton squish and plush upper are both still included making it extremely comfortable for running or just walking around. But the slightly more elastic and bouncy midsole takes the Clifton 9 to a new level. Because of that tweak, the Hoka Clifton 9 is a more versatile and pleasant ride than its predecessors.
The Clifton has long been a staple for many runners and one of the better beginner-friendly running shoes. That’s still the case…and then some.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Performance Review
The Harden Vol 7 looks weird but performs great, and brings back plush cushioning to adidas basketball.
Colorway: Better Scarlet / Core Black / Better Scarlet
Release Date: 2023
Price: $160
9/10
Total Score
James Harden’s 7th signature shoe, the adidas Harden Vol 7 is odd-looking, to say the least, but the shoe features a bunch of different performance features that could make these elite performance basketball shoes. The design team at adidas put together a very intriguing hoop shoe that also brings back the Boost we all know and love. Let’s jump into the performance review, to see exactly how they performed on court.
The adidas Harden Vol 7 comes with both solid and translucent rubber on the outsole. The solid portions are pods in the forefoot and feature (slightly slanted) herringbone traction, and the rest of the outsole is translucent with a radial traction pattern.
Traction on the Vol 7 is excellent. Both the solid and the translucent rubbers are grippy, and the combination of the herringbone and radial traction patterns offers very consistent and multidirectional coverage on court. This set-up is elite indoors and outdoors, but it won’t last long on the blacktop. The traction pattern isn’t deeply set, and translucent rubber tends to wear down quickly, but the shoe will grip well as long as the traction pattern lasts.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Cushioning
Cushioning on the adidas Harden Vol 7 might be the shoe’s best feature. What we have is a dual-density foam setup. In the forefoot and midfoot of the shoe we have adidas’ Lightstrike foam, and in the heel, we have adidas’ Boost. Now we have good news regarding both foams: the Lightstrike doesn’t feel like Lightstrike, and the Boost doesn’t feel like modern Boost. The Lightstrike in the Harden Vol 7 is much more bouncy and plush and the Boost in the heel is like the Boost we know and love from the mid-2000’s.
The adidas Harden Vol 7 offers a very well-balanced ride on the court, with just enough impact protection and bounce to keep you comfortable as you play, as well as the right amount of reactiveness to help you stay agile. Just a really great cushioning setup from adidas, and we finally have a more plush feeling hoop shoe in the adidas lineup.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Materials
In terms of quality, it really depends on which colorway you pick up. Some come with mainly textiles along the upper and others come with a leather build. In both cases, the materials a good but not great, but both do their job well on court. You get more than enough support and comfort from both builds.
One drawback you will find with this build is ventilation. This isn’t a huge issue for most hoopers, but, it is something to keep in mind if your feet tend to overheat.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Support
Support on the Harden Vol 7 is on point. We have a full-length, bottom-loaded shank plate that helps to keep you stable and springy on court, a very wide base with a ton of surface in contact with the court, and several portions of the outsole and midsole wrap around the upper and add containment to the shoe.
Two of the more remarkable design features on the shoe also affect its performance. That synthetic overlay we see in the forefoot of the shoe, which is similar to what we saw in the Harden Vol 1, adds containment in that area and flexes naturally with your foot. On the other hand, the sock collar and heel of the shoe are somewhat lackluster. The sock collar can make it difficult to get your foot in, especially if you use ankle braces, and the heel is not as well padded as we would have liked, and therefore lockdown isn’t excellent.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Fit
The adidas Harden Vol 7 fits true to size but because of the unusual build, finding the right size might be a bit tricky, and this is again, because of that sock collar. If you are planning to use ankle braces or have wider feet, you may want to go up half a size or try them on in-store. But in general, go true to size.
adidas Harden Vol 7 Overall
Well done adidas! The Harden Vol 7 brings back a ton of stuff we were missing from adidas basketball: the wow factor, a plush cushioning system, a well-performing Harden shoe, etc. and we get all of this in one of the most unique-looking hoop shoes of the year. Personally, I would have loved to have seen how the market would have received this model back when Harden was in Houston at the height of his powers and fame. I think these would have been ICONIC.
The Harden Vol 7 is one of the best hoop shoes of the year overall and is just a very well-balanced hoop shoe with a ton of flare.
UA TriBase Reign 5 Performance Review
Last year, we reviewed the Under Armour TriBase Reign 4 and felt like it had a lot of positives. Then we came back to let you know that the Under Armour Project Rock 5 was even better and it seemed like we might have a new contender in the upper echelon of cross training shoes. So, we reached out to the folks at Under Armour to see if they could keep the streak going with the all-new Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 and while they sent us these shoes for review, they have no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence this review.
Under Armour TriBase Reign 5
Release Date: January 2023
Price: $130
Weight: 10.5 oz.
Drop: 2mm
Sizing: True to size
- Rundown: The Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 is a super stable, versatile workout shoe that takes some break in time.
How do the Authors Train?
Arune Singh (age 41, 5’11”, 205lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming provided by Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos. He has recently been training for 5Ks and looks for every opportunity to get some time on a heavy bag. Given his medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, Arune focuses on lean muscle mass and getting down consistently to 190lbs, with a secondary focus on cardiovascular training and aesthetics. He works out in a home gym with a rower, air bike, bench, adjustable dumbbells, kettlebells, and either a cat or dog trying to obstruct him at every turn.
Drew Whitcomb (age 41, 6’6″ 195lbs): Trains daily with a focus on running, strength training, and mobility. He writes the majority of our running shoe reviews and runs a lot of miles both due to testing needs and his growing affinity for long-distance races. He recently completed the New York City Marathon. More marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races are in his future. His strength training and mobility regimen center around maintaining flexibility and lifting heavy to build power as a counterbalance to all the long-distance running he’s doing. His number one focus is staying injury free so he can keep up the sweet gig of reviewing shoes for a living.
What Is The Under Armour TriBase Reign 5?
According to the UA website, the KD 15 is described as: “The better your contact with the floor during your workouts, the better those workouts are going to be. The low, stable triangular base of the UA TriBase tech will help you through every rep, set, and WOD.”
The shoe has a 2mm drop and weighs 10.5 oz, meaning the drop remains the same from the previous model while shaving off 0.5 oz. It weighs in at a whopping 3 oz lighter than the Project Rock 5.
Pros
Solid (Tri)Base
Arune: If stability is your concern, there are a few training shoes on the market that I would choose over anything Under Armour is making with TriBase right now and the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 is no exception. I put these through the wringer – at least in my environment – with single leg movements (RDLs, RFESSs) and I felt more in touch with the ground than even my beloved Project Rock 5s. This shoe keeps you locked into the ground and reminds me how much I love the lower drop in my training shoes.
The stability also translates over to plyometrics, whether you’re doing jumping squats, box jumps, burpees, or skaters. I felt covered for everything I tackled this week.
But heavy lifts are where the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 really comes alive and you will most appreciate the shoe. It feels like every aspect of the shoe really comes together in perfect harmony at the bottom of your heavy squats.
Was this stable for someone as tall as you, Drew?
Drew: Yes, it was. Under Armour’s TriBase tech feels like gluing my feet to the floor, especially during any heavy lifts. Honestly, I even feel the difference when doing the bench press. My feet stay thoroughly planted allowing me to access the maximum amount of force from my muscles. As a tall guy that has to deal with a long range of motion, the extra stability is helpful.
Improved Upper
Arune: While I didn’t initially notice this when reviewing the Reign 4, the upper never fully broke in and at times – like with pushups and burpees – it felt like it was digging into the top of my foot when it flexed.
But the Under Amour TriBase Reign 5 has a much more flexible UA Warp upper this time around that feels like it moves with my foot instead of my foot moving in spite of the upper. There’s also none of the slippage I experienced with the 4 because you’re locked in (well…more on that later).
The upper will also appear in cons but I’d be remiss in not calling out the improvement here.
Drew: WARP is Under Armour’s best upper technology. It’s strong with comfort more like a knit or plush engineered mesh. Think running shoe upper but still supportive enough to keep the foot on the footbed when moving laterally doing ladder drills or other side-to-side exercises.
Made for Fitness
Arune: I touched on this earlier, but you can really do a lot – and comfortably – in the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5. From rowing to air bike to short runs to functional fitness, this shoe is built for a very well-rounded idea of fitness. While I wouldn’t call it the best at any one of those things, it is able to do them all at a very high level.
So if you just want to take one shoe to the gym with you to do everything, the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 likely has you covered short of long cardio sessions.
Drew: I largely agree but wearing the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 for running is a clunky experience that I don’t recommend. The impressive stability of the TriBase system makes each foot plant a bit too weighty while making it hard to flex your foot beyond the toes. That and heel landings are pretty stiff. Stationary bikes, however, are not an issue. The firm base actually helps generate more power in a similar way to TPU-bottomed cycling shoes.
Everything else in the gym is fair game. So yes, it’s a versatile fitness shoe with one big caveat.
Cons
Under Armour Fit Consistency
Arune: I have worn Under Armour training shoes more than any other training shoe for the past 18 months. I’m clearly a fan, but I swear that every model has such a radically different fit that I have no clue what to expect.
One of my favorite things about the Reign 4 is that it felt wide foot friendly but there has never been a moment in the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 where I didn’t feel it crushing my left pinky. Now that isn’t new for me – I’ve had to skip out on most Nike shoes because of the narrow fit and I find most footwear, in general, to be too narrow for my Hobbit feet (namely in the forefoot).
But the Project Rock 5 and Reign 4 both were great for my feet, so it’s been an adjustment to feel that pressure on my forefoot day after day.
This is also complicated by the fact I found the forefoot incredibly, incredibly warm from the first time I tried them on. Sorry for the TMI folks, but my feet were sweating like I would expect to happen in the liner of my shorts (shout out to Ten Thousand, you’re great) and not on my feet.
Please, Drew, don’t regale us with any sweaty groin stories – I’ve probably lost the audience already.
Drew: How do I even follow that up? (Editor’s Note: You don’t, just walk away.)
Last (P)lace
Arune: I’ll keep this one short: the laces don’t stay laced and that means the entire fit of the shoe is FUBAR unless you double knot it…and then unknot and reknot between sets.
Drew: Rope laces are not a good choice on a cross training shoe. I would consider swapping the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5’s laces with something different.
Break in that Breaks You
Arune: No one has ever accused the Reign line of being light, cloud-like shoes and I think that’s fine – I don’t mind a thicker, heavier shoe. But even though this one is lighter than the Project Rock 5, it felt like a brick on my foot the minute I laced it up (which took a few tries as I noted above).
And it hurt my feet a lot.
The first day wearing these shoes was painful, so much so that I had to stop using them after ten minutes on the rower and I wasn’t sure how I would write this review because I didn’t want to wear them. But each day became a bit more comfortable, with the Micro G midsole adapting to my feet and providing a nice bit of responsive cushioning as time went on that got us to the pros listed above. I need to note that the shoe isn’t the most flexible overall – I can feel it under my foot every time I try to bend and that’s not something I particularly love.
I just knocked out a 6000m row without any of the pain I had felt earlier in the week (other than the relatively narrow toe box) and each day makes that midsole comfier. But if this wasn’t a shoe I had received from UA, I don’t know if I would have given it a week to break in – not in a world with so many other great cross training shoes that are so good right out of the box.
Drew: I agree that it’s too much break-in time for a modern cross trainer. That said, the side effect is the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 is going to be super durable. The stiff midsole and materials will take a beating and keep performing the same.
Is this for me?
Arune: While the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 is a shoe that does a lot of things well, it is not a shoe I plan to continue using after this performance review. Not only do I have two colorways of the Project Rock 5 that I use right now, but I still find the Reebok Nano 4, 5 & 6 to be shoes that have held up as preferred training shoes all these years later.
Drew: Meh. I’ll stick with the good old GoRuck Ballistic Trainer for my gym work when I’m not testing other models.
Is this for you?
Arune: If you don’t have wide feet and you liked the Reign 4, then I think the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 will be right up your alley. Well, if you can solve the lacing. It’s hard to beat that stability.
But if you’re not particularly fond of the Reign series, you might – like me – find this to be one step forward, one step back, and find other options on the market that deliver the experience you want at a similar price point and with similar performance.
Drew: If you’re a fan of the TriBase Reign line you’ll get largely the same experience as the previous models after you’ve broken them in. Everyone else likely has better options…see our Best Cross Training Shoes list for the shoes we recommend.
Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 Summary
Arune: After a leap forward with the Reign 4 and Project Rock 5, it feels like the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 isn’t offering anything the company hasn’t previously delivered in at least an equal form.
That doesn’t mean this is a bad shoe – once you break it in, there’s a whole lotta good, but the Reign 5 simply isn’t a shoe I’ll be reaching for on a regular basis.
Under Armour really feels on the cusp of something great with their recent training shoe releases and this shoe doesn’t deter me from that belief – but I’m hoping either the future Project Rock 6 or TriBase Reign 6 recapture the excitement I was feeling about UA before testing this shoe.
The Nike Lebron 20 Paves a Way For The New Generation
Nike and LeBron James stirred things up with their newest iteration. Read our full Nike LeBron 20 performance review below!
The Nike LeBron series has been predominantly known as a “shoe line for the big boys”. This is undeniably true; throughout its 19 mainline installments and budget shoe lines, the Nike LeBron sneakers were bulky and heavy.
While it makes sense for LeBron James’ physique and abilities, countless amateur ballers could not keep up with the shoes’ features and design, leading them to switch to other shoe lines. But with King James battling toe-to-toe against Father Time, it’s a great opportunity for Nike and James to revamp the shoe line and create a new identity that will pave the way for the new generation. Hence, the birth of the Nike LeBron 20.
With that said, here is an in-depth Nike LeBron 20 performance review to help you know if the new signature pair is worth every penny.
The Nike LeBron 20 is infused with a three-layered material (Photo courtesy Nike)
MATERIALS
The Nike LeBron 20 boasts a three-layered upper material
The Nike LeBron 20 is infused with a three-layered upper material which consists of the Nike Sphere and a double-layered macro-level woven thread.
The double-layered woven thread is made thin to offer an adequate amount of airflow. The woven thread is firm, durable, and comfortable enough to provide abundant support and longevity. However, the Nike LeBron 20’s ventilation is not as good as other pairs.
On the other hand, the Nike Sphere functions like Nike’s DriFit polyester material infused with a little amount of foam. This material is infused to keep the inner material dry and to take sweat and moisture away when in use.
TRACTION
One word to describe the pair’s traction performance: top-tier
The 20th installment of the Nike LeBron series boasts a multi-directional outsole pattern. The digitally-generated pattern is engineered to pick up traction from any direction and foot movement. The Nike LeBron 20’s outsole is made of either solid rubber or a translucent compound depending on the silhouette.
The traction is very aggressive and grippy that it literally stops on a dime regardless of the direction and speed. Also, an additional offering that ballers would certainly love is that the outsole picks up a little amount of dust, which is a surprise given the small spaces between the patterns.
However, it is clearly evident that the pair is more advisable to be laced up on the hardwood rather than on a blacktop. It’s not because the pair performs less on the latter, but it is more of the durability-and-price comparison.
Regardless of the type of court, the Nike LeBron 20’s traction performs incredibly well. However, it is not ideal to risk the pair’s lifespan just to be used on a rough court given its US$200 price tag.
Even so, it’s still up to the users if they would lace it up in a court that could jeopardize the overall performance and longevity of its best feature.
The Nike LeBron 20 had a major change in its cushion setup. (Photo courtesy of Nike)
CUSHION AND SUPPORT
Long-time Nike LeBron users may have to adjust to the Nike LeBron 20’s cushion technologies
It is no secret that James is madly in love with Nike’s Zoom Air technology, mainly because the tech is constantly implemented on the four-time NBA champ’s signature pairs.
For the longest time, Nike heavily relied on their cutting-edge cushion technology when engineering a LeBron pair. Every Nike LeBron pair, especially those in the main line, was bombarded with cushions and foams to ensure impact protection and bounciness.
But exaggerating the cushion technology might compromise two important aspects of a basketball sneaker namely, its court feel and lightweightness.
A lot of ballers stay away from Nike LeBron shoes due to these reasons, and most of them would enjoy such features in the likes of KD 15, Under Armour Curry line, and Nike PGs, to name a few.
But when the Nike LeBron 20 emerged, there was a shift in the tide. From a heavy-duty sneaker with exaggerated cushion technology, Nike and LeBron finally steered the wheel in another direction and created a pair that offers flexibility to users.
The Nike LeBron’s 20th installment now offers an excellent court feel and lightweightness. Instead of an exposed Zoom Air like most of its predecessors, the Nike LeBron 20 is implemented with a full-length Cushlon which is soft, dense, and responsive. The Cushlon may not be very bouncy as with other pairs, but it offers a good amount of responsiveness to offer a good amount of impact protection.
Also, a Zoom Turbo unit is implemented on the pair’s forefoot while a large Zoom Air unit is inserted on the heel along with a bottom-loaded carbon fiber shank on the medial portion. The forefoot’s Zoom Turbo is not very bouncy but it offers good impact protection and a court feel that will be very beneficial to shifty players. The Zoom Air unit, on the other hand, provides good comfort and responsiveness especially when landing.
The two technologies are caged by a fully-exposed Cushlon that contours the users’ feet and are being secured by the carbon fiber shank on the midfoot, so even if the foam molds into the feet, the shank will still get a hold, thus, improving the techs’ lifespan and usage.
Aside from the high-end technologies that the Nike LeBron 20 banners, the pair also offers good stability and lockdown. The pair’s lacing system boasts a metal stay to avoid lacing through the weaves, hence, it wards off the possibility of getting worn out easily. Moreover, the lacing system allows the pair to be tied down beneath the ankle collar to boost lockdown.
The lacing system is also infused with synthetic material for added durability and containment. The ankle collar and tongue are implemented with a good amount of padding which is very beneficial since the Nike LeBron 20 is a low-top sneaker. Also, the pair has a wide base and is infused with an internal TPU on the heel counter making the overall containment excellent.
The heel-to-toe transition is excellent, too. The pair has a good curve, so dashing from a full stop is smooth. Moreover, the omnidirectional traction pattern works well with the upper, making the pair more flexible.
The only noticeable downside of the pair’s containment is that there is minimal slippage on the heel that some users may experience. The good thing is that the issue is manageable since it could be resolved after breaking in.
SIZE AND FITTING
The Nike LeBron 20 runs true to size
Just like other Nike LeBrons, it’s without any exception that the Nike LeBron 20 runs true to size. However, unlike other releases, this iteration is tapered or snug length-wise. Therefore, wide footers are advised to go up half or even a full size for some.
For size accuracy, it would be better to fit a pair first before making a purchase.
OVERALL RATING
The Nike LeBron 20 is perhaps the best LeBron pair in recent memory. It was a good move made by Nike and James to stir up things a bit and create a pair that could cater to a lot of ballers. Indeed, a very user-friendly and flexible sneaker.
Despite the major changes, the Nike LeBron 20 did not have any substantial and crucial drawbacks performance-wise. Moreover, the pair possesses an oozing charisma due to the engineered upper material and eye-catching design, which definitely cements the pair in the Sneaker of the Year conversation.
The Nike LeBron 20 nets an overall rating of 9.5 out of 10.