3 Best Nike Lebron Basketball Shoes in 2025

Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic on
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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 lots of LeBron models available on the market, we have reviewed them all to select the best. We brought them to our lab and did tests that resulted in more than 20 data points on each basketball shoe. 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.

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How we test Nike Lebron basketball shoes


The best Nike LeBron basketball shoes are picked based on all the wear tests and lab tests we do. Our testing process involves:

  • Sneaker shopping using our own money. We review each shoe by being factual only. No clowning around, no sponsorships.
  • Wear and playtesting. We wear the Nike LeBron basketball shoes for several days, or even weeks, in our indoor and outdoor basketball games. We note down every little detail that we experience.
  • Testing the shoes in our independent lab. We measure energy return, shock absorption, traction, outsole hardness, breathability, flexibility, and other shoe features.

Best Nike LeBron basketball shoes overall

Nike LeBron 23
89
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What makes it the best?

As one of Nike's most elite signature shoes, the LeBron 23 keeps hitting all the high marks in our lab tests. But this time around, it takes energy return to another level, becoming one of the bounciest options on our list thanks to the winning combination of ZoomX foam and a carbon fibre plate. But is that enough to justify such a steep price hike? Especially given that the Zoom Air is gone and that it is still one of the most heavy-set shoes? It's a mixed bag, but we can't deny the fact that the Nike LeBron 23 is still one of the top performers in the basketball shoe realm.

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Pros

  • Outstanding energy return
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  • Fantastic outsole traction
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  • Highly secure foot lockdown
  • Exceptional durability
  • Decent flexibility given the design
  • True to size and width

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Cons

  • Still one of the heaviest
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  • Extremely low toebox height
  • Not breathable
  • Rapid price increase
Full review of Nike LeBron 23

Best lightweight Nike LeBron basketball shoes

What makes it the best?

Ladies, and gentlemen, please welcome the lightest LeBron shoe to date!

LeBron shoes have always been known for being heavy. For context, this shoe’s predecessor the LeBron 20 weighs a staggering 14.67 oz or 416g. But the LeBron NXXT GEN just changed that trend. At 13.12 oz or 372g, it’s even lighter than the average shoe that weighs 13.65 oz or 387g!

As far as we can remember, the NXXT GEN is also the first time that a LeBron shoe sported a firm midsole. Our HA durometer gave it a softness rating of 30.6 when the average is only 27.9. The firmer-than-usual setup gave us some springiness that made us run much faster and more confidently.

We also used this shoe outdoors, and we loved just how hard the sole felt. Our HC durometer in the lab confirmed this observation. The device gave it a rating of 84.5 while the average is only 80.3.

The shoe’s width also surprised us, but in a not so good way. While the widest part of the toebox does not deviate much from the average (98.9 mm vs 99.9 mm), the toebox’s width at the big toe gave us too much of a cinch. The calliper showed that it’s only 74.9 mm wide when the average is 77.4 mm.

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Pros

  • Solid outsole traction
  • Lightest LeBron shoe (as of 2023)
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  • A fine balance of court feel and impact protection
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  • Very comfortable wraparound feel
  • Quality materials
  • Standout design and colours

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Cons

  • Surprisingly not for wide feet
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Full review of Nike Lebron NXXT GEN

Best budget Nike LeBron basketball shoes

Nike LeBron Witness 9
N/A
Not enough reviews yet

What makes it the best?

It's not just a boring £100 shoe; it's an affordable option from The King LeBron's signature series that ticks all the crucial boxes to help beginner and recreational players feel confident. Of course, it lacks premium materials and technologies for the price, but the shoe still impressed us with the value it offers. We were particularly excited about the upgrades to the Witness 9's stability and durability over the previous version.

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Pros

  • Responsive ReactX midsole
  • Excellent stability and ankle support
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  • Soft comfortable step-in feel
  • Accommodating fit
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  • Amazing durability for money

cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code Cons

  • Heavier than average
  • Not breathable
  • Cheap-feeling materials
Full review of Nike LeBron Witness 9

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.

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cheap coral nike thea blue and gold dress code | The different Nike LeBron collections

Collection

Description

Key Characteristics

Nike LeBron

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

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

Nike LeBron Witness

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

  • Lighter
  • Cheaper than all other LeBron shoes

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 kicks.

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However, buyers can be assured that they get their money’s worth, as Nike equips LeBron shoes with its most advanced shoe technologies at the time of release. And we can clearly see that in our lab tests.

LeBron shoes never fail in the traction department, demonstrating very high friction coefficients in the forefoot.

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Testing the forefoot traction of Nike LeBron shoes

Big players like The King himself can also rely on the shock absorption of LeBron shoes. Packed with large Zoom Air units in the heel and forefoot, these models ensure great impact protection without increasing the shoe's stack height too much to maintain connection to the court.

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Testing the shock absorption and energy return of Nike LeBron shoes

LeBron shoes have also proved to be rather responsive and bouncy. They are not exceptionally explosive but show moderate energy return nike hyperdunks 2015 purple women boots black.

NOTE: The energy return of 55-65% in the forefoot is considered moderate for a basketball shoe.

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Author
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 from. 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 from, 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.