The first full week of the 2019-20 NBA re-start just concluded. Some teams, like the Phoenix Suns, are making a late playoff push in hopes of claiming the last eligible spot. Other teams, like the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, sadly saw their playoff chances close on Sunday night.  The Kicks scene at the bubble in Orlando has been heating up tremendously. Although we can’t include it in our countdown because they weren’t worn on-court, the sneaker king himself, P.J. Tucker, donned the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy Sample – a shoe that’s worth as much as some houses. Not to worry though, you’ll of course see P.J. in our countdown from a shoe he actually did wear on-court.

LeBron James is well aware that his 18th signature shoe has seen the limelight for a brief moment, but he’s not ready to put the 17’s in the vault just yet. James says he will continue to sport new colorways of both the lows and highs of the Lebron 17’s during his team’s time in the bubble. Rookie sensation, Ja Morant, is digging into a bag of his own, sporting rare Nike basketball gems that haven’t graced the hardwood in years. Paul George continues to wear exclusive colorways of his PG 4 model, but also dug into the archives of his own line to sport arguably his most popular silhouette to date. NBA veteran, Carmelo Anthony, rocked one of the cleanest looking P.E.’s from his own signature line – the Jordan Melo 5.5. Most notably during his time in the bubble, Chris Paul has been sporting his 12th signature shoe, but each customized differently every game to showcase a different HBCU school. Each custom has featured the respective HBCU’s school colors, name, and/or mascot. Scroll below to see which player snagged our top spot in this week’s Kicks Through the Lens.

 

 

15. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 “Crossing Guards” – James Harden

 

     

 

 

14. Nike PG 4 “Sunset” – Paul George

 

     

 

 

13. Jordan CP3.XII “North Carolina A&T State” Custom – Chris Paul

 

     

 

 

12. Jordan XXXIV “Spring Break” P.E. – Tim Hardaway Jr.

 

     

 

 

11. Nike Kyrie 4 “Confetti” – Ja Morant

 

     

 

 

10. Nike PG 1 P.E. – Paul George

 

     

 

 

9. Jordan XXXIV “Unite N.O.” P.E. – Zion Williamson

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

 

     

 

 

7. Nike PG 4 “Gatorade” P.E. – Paul George

 

     

 

 

6. Jordan Melo 5.5 P.E. – Carmelo Anthony

 

           

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 4 “USC P.E.” – P.J. Tucker

 

     

 

 

4. Nike LeBron XVII Low “South Beach” P.E. – LeBron James

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – DeMar DeRozan

     

 

 

2. Nike KD IV “Weatherman” – Ja Morant

 

           

 

 

1. Nike LeBron XVII “Air Command Force” (Alternate) P.E. – LeBron James

 

     

 

The NBA season officially re-starts tomorrow as fans and players alike have been waiting for months. New signature shoes from the league’s top players will grace the hardwood. Giannis Antetokounmpo recently debuted his second signature model, the Nike Zoom Freak 2. After Nike and King James garnered much success out of the Lebron XVII, the 18th signature model was seen on James’ feet this past week for the fist time. A total of three colorways of the Lebron XVIII have been seen so far throughout numerous social media platforms.

With this being the last week before the 2019-20’s season reboot in the bubble, players are starting to really show out with their on-court footwear. Nike Kobe 5 Protros seem to be THE shoe of 2020, with Nike making too many player exclusive editions to even count. P.J. Tucker once again sported a P.E. that no one at the bubble is guaranteed to have. For Part 2 of our #BubbleKicks we simply compiled the best 20 sneakers since we made our first list. These kicks are in no particular order. Scroll through to see which P.E.’s you wish Nike would release to the public as well as new signature models making their first public appearances.

 

 

Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Bruce Lee” – Anthony Davis

 

 

 

Adidas Harden Vol. 4 “McDonald’s” – James Harden

 

 

 

Under Armour Curry 7 “Azalea” – Seth Curry

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

 

 

 

Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 SE – Russell Westbrook

 

 

 

Nike Lebron XVIII – LeBron James

Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Anthony Davis

New Balance “The Kawhi” – Kawhi Leonard

 

 

 

Nike Zoom Freak 2 “White Cement” – Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

 

 

Jordan XXXIV Low P.E. – Luka Doncic

 

 

 

Jordan XIII “Rip Hamilton P.E.” – P.J. Tucker

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Buddy Hield

 

 

 

Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 – Donovan Mitchell

 

 

 

Nike Lebron XVII “Remix” – LeBron James

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

 

 

 

Nike Zoom Freak 2 – Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Alternate Bruce Lee” – Tobias Harris

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 6 TB “Court Purple” – P.J. Tucker

 

 

 

Nike Lebron XVII “2K Playoffs” – LeBron James

 

 

 

Nike Kobe 6 “ASG Hollywood 3D” – Jrue Holiday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2019-20 NBA season is (almost) back, but NBA players are already in full swing when it comes to their on-court kicks. With no fans to watch and no NBA arenas hosting games, players’ sneaker choices will have to be seen by the few lucky ones that are in attendance. Before we officially get back to games in a couple of weeks, we wanted to make a quick Top 10 list of the best sneakers in the “Bubble” so far. It’s been quite some time since we’ve done a list regarding the current kicks scene in the NBA, but your usual suspects are back like they never left.

 

Jordan Brand athletes continue to don new P.E.’s of the Jordan XXXIV’s. Nike athletes are coming heavy with the Nike Kobe 5 Protros, almost as if they had P.E. colorways stashed away for months. New signature sneakers have been debuted in the Bubble as well, with Donovan Mitchell sporting his second signature shoe, the D.O.N. Issue #2 and PUMA athletes debuting the long-awaited RS Dreamer – the signature sneaker of J. Cole. LeBron James has been mixing it up with low and high versions of his 17th signature model, along with a particularly eye-catching colorway. Look below for our list of the Top 10 #BubbleKicks to see which athletes are returning to form in the most heat.

 

 

10. Adidas D.O.N. Issue #2 “Crayola” – Donovan Mitchell – Utah Jazz

 

     

 

 

9. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Tobias Harris – Philadelphia 76ers

 

     

 

 

8. PUMA RS Dreamer – Kyle Kuzma – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

7. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

6. Jordan XXXIV P.E. – Rui Hachimura – Washington Wizards

 

     

 

 

5. Nike Lebron XVII “Courage” – LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

           

 

 

4. Nike KD 13 “Chill” – Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Buddy Hield – Sacramento Kings

 

     

 

 

2. Nike Lebron XVII Low P.E. – LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

1. Nike Kobe 5 Protro “EYBL” – DeMar DeRozan – San Antonio Spurs

 

           

Hard to believe that LeBron James’ signature sneaker line is 17 years old. There are high school basketball players that weren’t even born when King James’ first signature shoe released back in 2003. LeBron is second only to Michael Jordan in the amount of signature models his personal line has eclipsed (34 and 17 respectively). It’s always a rare occurrence for a rookie in the NBA to have their own shoe, but Nike was all in on their 18-year-old, $90 million dollar man.  LeBron’s first shoe was dubbed the “Air Zoom Generation” as opposed to the expected “Nike Lebron 1.” This was most likely in part due to LeBron being seen as a “once in a generation” talent. However, once the second LeBron model was released in 2004, Nike and James went with the traditional numbering and naming system, calling it the Nike Zoom Lebron II. Models 1-6 in LeBron James’ line were pretty well received and could always be seen on-court repeatedly. It wasn’t until the LeBron VII that the line really took off, thanks to designer Jason Petrie. Petrie blended new technology with traditional materials to flawlessly create possibly the greatest looking shoe in the Nike LeBron line. With leathers, suedes, patent leather, flywire technology, and a full-length Air Max bag, the LeBron VII had on-court performance, but also off-court appeal. This was perhaps the first time in the LeBron line’s history that you could style the signature model casually for the streets, but not miss a step lacing them up for the court.

 

     

 

Jason Petrie would keep this momentum up and go on to make sure-fire hits with the Lebrons VIII, IX, and X. The Nike LeBrons 7-10 dominated the hype waves of the early 2010’s, and rightfully so. Nike basketball shoes were hot, and Jason Petrie knew how to deliver. The partnership between LeBron and Jason worked so well, that Petrie has designed every model since the 7. Some models are obviously more liked than others, but it is a tall task to design shoes made for a player 6’9″ and 250 lbs. LeBron’s most recent model, the XVII’s, have received high praise overall and achieved a mass appeal both on-court and off. There’s no telling just how much longer Nike will have Jason Petrie designing LeBron’s signature shoes, but there always seems to be a buzz surrounding what the next iteration in the line will look like.

 

           

 

We at Sneaker Reporter didn’t want to just show LeBron James’ signature line 1-17, we wanted to challenge ourselves. We compiled a list ranking the best-looking LeBron silhouettes (ranked between all 17 models). This list has nothing to do with how the shoes perform on-court, strictly with how the shoes look aesthetically. I’m a Lebron collector myself and just let it be known that the Top 5 in this list can change on any given day, there’s really no right or wrong order. We only included the base models of the signature line, so no low tops, post season versions, or “Elite” versions. Additionally, and probably most importantly, each shoe on the list is the debut model and/or part of the initial first run of colorways. No samples, player exclusives, friends and family versions, etc. will be shown here (we’ll save those for another article). We wanted each colorway shown to match the current team Lebron was on and be attainable for a consumer to buy (for the most part). Scroll through to see which Lebron models got ranked towards the top, and which ones slid towards the bottom. A 17-year signature series run that is far from over.

 

1. Nike LeBron VII (2009-10)

 

     

 

 

2. Nike LeBron VIII (2010-11)

 

     

 

 

3. Nike LeBron X (2012-13)

 

     

 

 

4. Nike LeBron IX (2011-12)

 

     

 

 

5. Nike LeBron XV (2017-18)

 

     

 

 

6. Nike LeBron IV (2006-07)

 

     

 

 

7. Nike LeBron III (2005-06)

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Air Zoom Generation (LeBron 1) (2003-04)

 

     

 

 

9. Nike LeBron XVII (2019-20)

 

     

 

 

10. Nike LeBron V (2007-08)

 

     

 

 

11. Nike LeBron II (2004-05)

 

     

 

 

12. Nike LeBron XI (2013-14)

 

     

 

 

13. Nike LeBron XVI (2018-19)

 

     

 

 

14. Nike LeBron XIV (2016-17)

 

     

 

 

15. Nike LeBron XII (2014-15)

 

     

 

 

16. Nike LeBron VI (2008-09)

 

     

 

 

17. Nike LeBron XIII (2015-16)

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah yes, the sneaker that was, and may still be, ahead of its time. The Nike Air Foamposite One. The Nike Air Foamposite One saw its initial release back in 1997, and were actually debuted by someone other than Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. Mike Bibby, then a guard in college at the University of Arizona, debuted the bold sneakers on national television during March Madness. The design was simple yet drew attention, the colors you could see from across the gym, and the one-piece upper was comprised of a material never before seen on a shoe. “Foamposite” was just that – a liquid foam that would harden into a “posite-like” material once you put in the mold you wanted for a certain sneaker. The idea was that as you were playing basketball in them the “foam” would start to heat up, due to your feet and inside the sneaker getting hotter, and eventually mold to your foot.

 

           

 

Although not typically used for performance basketball anymore, Nike Foamposites are still released in a plethora of colorways to this day. None, however, is more widely recognized or appreciated than the original royal blue/black colorway – dressed up in Orlando Magic colors for Penny Hardaway. Hardaway’s “1 Cent” logo can be seen on all of the heels of the Nike Air Foamposite One. Although some may think so, the Foamposite One was not actually a signature sneaker of Penny’s, he just helped endorse them. This somewhat mirrors how Kobe Bryant helped endorse the original Hyperdunk back in 2008 and even wore them on court, although they were never a signature sneaker of his. Back in the 90’s the NBA still had a few color restrictions when it came to the shoes players wore and the Foamposites were not “up to code” with the league’s standards. Apparently the shoe had too much blue in it (a primary color), and not enough of a base color (a black or a white). Nike and Penny still wanted to wear the shoes so Penny literally grabbed a sharpie and colored in lines on his royal blue Foamposites so that there would be equal amounts of blue and black. Nike even released a Foamposite “Sharpie Pack” back in 2015 commemorating this. In the years since Penny Hardaway’s playing days he has continued to sport foams in different varieties. Penny has worn numerous Foamposite One’s in the Celebrity All-Star Game during the NBA All-Star Weekend and most recently you can see the now head coach of Memphis State sporting them on the sidelines while he’s coaching his team.

 

                        

 

With the Foamposite material leaving options for so many patterns and colorways, Nike has opened the door for pretty much any color combination on this model in recent years. From eye-popping colors, to storytelling patterns, to international inspiration – Nike has, and continues to, explore all options when it comes to the 23-year-old design. Some Foamposite One’s have garnered enormous hype, some have a more simpler, clean color scheme, while others have a cult following. Some colorways that garnish the design that was “ahead of its time”  are just better than others. We took it upon ourselves to rank the best 15 Nike Air Foamposite One colorways of all-time. The only criteria is that the colorway had to release in some capacity to the public (no samples or player exclusives). We also took into account the wearability of the colorway, the theme behind it (if there was one), and the history of it. Look below to check out the list and to see if you own any of the colorways ranked in our Top 15!

 

15. Nike Air Foamposite One “Pewter” (2011)

 

     

 

 

14. Nike Air Foamposite One “Cactus” (2007)

 

     

 

 

13. Nike Air Foamposite One “Shooting Stars” (2014)

 

     

 

 

12. Nike Air Foamposite One “Oregon” (2013)

 

     

 

 

11. Nike Air Foamposite One “Big Bang” (2018)

 

     

 

 

10. Nike Air Foamposite One “Chromeposite” (2015)

 

     

 

 

9. Nike Air Foamposite One “Memphis Tigers” (2019)

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Air Foamposite One “Pearlized Pink” (2012)

 

     

 

 

7. Nike Air Foamposite One “ParaNorman” (2012)

 

     

 

 

6. Nike Air Foamposite One “Anthracite” (2007)

 

     

 

 

5. Nike Air Foamposite One “Copper” (2010, 2017)

 

     

 

 

4. Nike Air Foamposite One “Metallic Red” (2012, 2017)

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Air Foamposite One “Eggplant” (2009, 2017)

 

     

 

 

2. Nike Air Foamposite One “NRG Galaxy” (2012)

 

     

 

1. Nike Air Foamposite One “Royal Blue” (1997, 2007, 2008 (HOH), 2011, 2017 (20th Anniversary))