LeBron James’ Daughter, Zhuri, Inspires His Next Nike Signature Shoe
Although the basketball icon has spent two decades in the NBA, the next LeBron James signature shoe with Nike is built for the sport’s next generation.
Today, Nike revealed the LeBron 21, the latest court-ready sneaker for the Los Angeles Lakers star. The lead designer for the Nike LeBron 21 was Jason Petrie, who has worked on the signature franchise since the LeBron 7.
In a statement, Nike said the muse for the LeBron 21 was James’ 8-year-old daughter, Zhuri. The look, according to Nike, was “inspired by the notion of protection for the modern player” and the brand likened the uppers is to an oyster shell “protecting the pearl inside.”
To pull this inspiration off, Nike created uppers with striated ventilation made to look like the veining of a shell. Also, to ensure the wearer could move with explosion, the Swoosh added lightweight mono-mesh to the upper reinforced by 360 degrees of zonal cables around the midfoot. This, according to NIke, will support and secure the wearer over the footbed. And to allow for breathability, Nike added perforations on the medial Swoosh.
Other nods to an oyster shell include exposed construction on the foxing, which Nike said gives the shoe a shell-like appearance, and quilted perforated foam tongues that resemble the look of a shell.
The uppers, Nike explained, sit atop a Zoom Turbo unit in the forefoot and a bottom-loaded, 13-millimeter Zoom unit to support propulsion. Also, the brand added a full-length Cushlon 2.0 foam carrier for what it described as “a pillowy feel” and a TPU midfoot shank for stability and “extra pop for dynamic movements.”
“As we took our next steps from the LeBron 20, we were inspired by the way LeBron maintains his body and his game during the offseason,” Petrie said in a statement. “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.”
The Nike LeBron 21 arrives globally on Sept. 28. The shoe, Nike confirmed, will be available in full family sizing.
In related Nike Basketball news, the brand also revealed the first signature shoe for NBA star Devin Booker today. The look, dubbed the Book 1, will release in spring ’24. The Book 1, according to Nike, was designed with lateral stability, cushioning and responsiveness in mind, and features Cushlon 2.0 foam midsoles and a rigid TPU sidewall for support, as well as a top-loaded Nike Zoom air bag in the heel.