2021 is just one day away. Everyone in the sneaker community seems to be doing their “year in review.” Whether it’s their top pickups of the year, most slept-on releases of 2020, shoes I regret buying in 2020, etc. – shoes have been an integral part during these last 365 days. At Sneaker Reporter, one of those lists we wanted to compile was the Top 10 LeBron Releases of 2020. King James just turned 36 years old, he’s coming off of his 4th NBA Championship, he’s the reigning NBA Finals MVP, and he is on his 18th signature shoe with the Swoosh while simultaneously having a successful retro line as well.
Looking back on 2020, LeBron and Nike had quite the lineup of releases. LBJ’s Lebron 17’s had a very successful run that spanned most of 2020, even all the way into the NBA playoff bubble. James debuted his LeBron 18’s during that same time and even sported a new colorway while hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy back in October. Coinciding with his 17 and 18 signature models, Nike retro’d quite a slew of LeBron 7’s this past year as well. The LeBron 7 is the most universally loved by sneaker enthusiasts when it comes to the LeBron line. Its clean lines, mix of materials, excellent logo placements, and on-court/off-court appeal are what make this model a true homerun.
Only a handful of LeBron 18’s have released to the public so far so our list of the Top 10 LeBron Releases will be comprised of mostly his 17’s as well as 7’s that came out in 2020. There are a few rules or stipulations we wanted to agree on before making our list of the top 10 LeBrons. No LeBron-exclusive colorways that only he can get his hands on, no sample colorways, no college player exclusive colorways, no customs. Each shoe on our list had to have released to the public at some point in the calendar year of 2020, keep in mind that can be domestically or internationally.
Lastly, what makes a shoe fit a particular slot on our countdown? When it comes down to iconic moments, sometimes that athlete elevates the desire around that shoe depending on what he/she accomplished while wearing them. A release that was going to be “just another release” can immediately be catapulted into a must-have shoe once a monumental feat is attached to it. Keep this in mind for the #3 selection in the countdown. This past year, Nike was bringing LeBron 7’s out of the vault that were previously samples and fetched over the $1,000 mark. True LeBron collectors pounced on these releases, not relinquishing the opportunity to scoop shoes at retail that were once their grails. Nike also got creative with the 17’s and released one of the best hybrid models we have ever seen. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for the LBJ line come 2021. Scroll below to find out what our Top 10 Nike LeBron Releases of 2020 are.
**Honorable Mention** – Nike LeBron 18 “X-Mas in LA”
These just squeaked into 2020, having released on December 30th. But hey, they still count as releasing this year, right? LeBron and Nike went through models 14, 15, 16, and 17 without a true Christmas-themed colorway. Nike basketball fans and LeBron collectors alike were happy to see the LeBron line make a return to the Christmas color scheme. It just missed our Top 10 but we wanted to make at least one Honorable Mention shoe and this was it. Since Christmas colors are both red AND green maybe in the future we can see a bit more balance of the two colors on a LeBron Christmas shoe instead of an iteration that is 98% red with one green Swoosh thrown on it and some green laces. Nonetheless it’s still a clean colorway and we’re glad to have Christmas LeBrons back.
10. Nike LeBron 17 “Command Force”
Simple and clean with a pop of color. These “Command Force” 17’s had great reception to them and sold well. Each shoe featured a different swirl pattern on the knitposite material. These were inspired by the Nike Air Command Force in the “Billy Hoyle” colorway. Throw these on with some fresh white Nike socks in the summertime and you’re good to go. Really nothing more you can say about these, just a clean colorway with a dope concept behind them.
9. Nike LeBron 17 “Courage”
The first LeBron in our list that did not release in the U.S., but was a China-exclusive. You really have to hold these shoes in your hand to see how much the color pops as well as the gold details. A metallic gold swoosh on the lateral outrigger, gold speckles on the midsole and heel counter, a red dragon laying across a gold tongue, and gold stitching detailing the black laces – need I say more? These are hard to get your hands on, yes, but they actually don’t fetch that high of a resale price on your local re-sell apps.
8. Nike LeBron 7 “Fairfax”
There might be some disagreeance with these even being on the list but hear me out. Imagine a high school P.E. only made for the players of the Fairfax basketball team and then all of a sudden they’re being released to the masses. A shoe that was once a grail to many, and fetched over a $1,000 price tag, you will now be able to get for $200 and in a lot of cases less than that, depending on what size you wear. It is so rare to see a former high school PE sample colorway finally make its way to retail. This is similar to when Nike brought back the SVSM Air Zoom Generations in 2018. For whatever reason the hype died down on these pretty quickly as soon as people found out there were more than enough pairs to go around. Just because a shoe is readily available for retail price doesn’t diminish its extrinsic value. Plus, it’s hard to go wrong with black patent leather on a LeBron 7.
7. Nike LeBron 17 “I Promise”
Boy if you passed on these I already know you regret it. Some groups of colors just go together and this is definitely one of those instances. Turquoise, yellow, pink, grey, and black – perfection. Quite possibly the best-looking outsole on a LeBron 17 as well, not to mention they also glow in the dark. When LeBron first wore these on-court last season we were all praying that Nike would drop them, and low-and-behold, they actually did. This is a colorway that is surely to go up in price over time. Get ’em while you can.
6. Nike LeBron 7 “MVP”
The 2009-10 MVP season. Another shoe that was previously almost impossible to obtain and cleared the one thousand dollar mark. “Witness History” stitched on the heels, “MVP” sewn in on the medial heel counters, chenille swooshes on the lateral sides, metallic gold eyelets, all wrapped in white tumbled leather – boy these LeBron 7’s hit the mark. If these weren’t on your hit-list of 2020 and aren’t in your Top 10 countdown, there’s not much more convincing that can be done.
5. Nike LeBron 17 “Graffiti Pack”
So I know I somewhat cheated with putting these three shoes into one spot, but I didn’t want each one of these releases taking up an individual slot in the list. If there’s ever a way to do a “hybrid” shoe right, then this is it. Combining the very rare samples of the LeBron 4 “Graffitis” and the new tooling of the LeBron 17’s, these releases ended up being a match made in heaven. There was a lot of buildup to these three shoes and they sold well, however it appears Nike made more than enough pairs to go around. In what was originally thought to be a very limited release, ended up being one of the most GR LeBron 17’s to come out. In some instances, buyers were even able to secure pairs from this pack on heavy discount. If you’re a fan of nostalgia and of the LeBron line in general, I’d be surprised if you don’t have at least one shoe from the Graffiti Pack.
4. Nike LeBron 8 “Lakers”
Just like the Christmas LeBron 18’s, these Laker 8’s just snuck into the release roundup of 2020. These are the first LeBron 8 retro ever to release (in the U.S.). Dressed in the iconic Lakers purple and gold, it’s nice to see some retros in the team colors that LeBron plays for. LBJ was first seen wearing these for the 2020 NBA Media Day and boy did they look sharp. These instantly sold out online the day of the drop, but I guess the one positive thing is that they aren’t going for completely outlandish prices (yet). If you’re planing on scooping these, I’d do it sooner rather than later.
3. Nike LeBron 18 “Melon Tint”
The only LeBron 18 officially in our Top 10, but I think everyone can agree you simply can’t leave these out. The colorway that King James was wearing while bringing home his 4th NBA ring, and 17th championship to the Laker organization. Release info for the Melon Tint 18’s have been (and still are) fuzzy. They released overseas way back in October and then saw a very slim SNKRS only release a month later via special access. This eye-catching colorway is the first iteration of its kind in the LeBron line. How could you not want, or like, the shoe in which your favorite athlete was sporting while winning a championship? If there’s one LeBron 18 that’s a must-have, you’re looking at it.
2. Nike LeBron 8 “Gym Red” (Beijing)
I hope you don’t plan on walking into your local Champs Sports and securing these, because it isn’t going to happen. Once again, a LeBron shoe that is international-only, the LeBron 8 “Gym Red” seemed to come out of nowhere in 2020. We all somewhat expected a Laker-themed LeBron 8 to drop, but Nike kind of snuck this “Gym Red” release in there, well before the Laker 8’s came to retail. For anyone who actually owns these I have heard, “Best LeBron of the year,” “The materials are bar none,” “This is the proper way to retro a model.” The only downside with these, along with the Melon Tints and Courage 17’s, is that the biggest size they come in is a 13 due to them being an international release. – *Insert big-footers sigh right here* – The Gym Red (or Beijing) LeBron 8’s started off the retro run for the model with a bang; a shoe that is surely to break necks if ever seen on-feet in person.
1. Nike LeBron 7 “Media Day”
Media Day 2019, our jaws hit the floor when we saw LeBron James walk out of the tunnel sporting these beauties. For the time being we just figured, “Great, another insanely sick P.E. that’s only meant for LeBron James.” Then come to our delight, they were actually releasing in May of 2020!! The hype for this release was HUGE, and it was warranted. People were posting their “W’s” and “L’s” all day, and individuals just had to get a pair. Collectors were even coming out of ‘retirement’ to try to cop these. A mismatched LeBron 7 and in his Laker team colors – need I say more? I’m sorry, but you can have all the sick colorways on a LeBron model until the cows come home, but nothing compares to a shoe that’s in a team’s color scheme that the athlete plays for. Nike and LeBron executed this release to perfection. A shoe that was originally thought to be a P.E. but ended up seeing a widespread release. A shoe that doesn’t fetch exorbitant amounts of money but still keeps a little of that exclusivity factor. A shoe that you can get in ALL sizes and don’t have to hit up your overseas plug to obtain. The LeBron 7 “Media Day” is Sneaker Reporter’s top LeBron release of 2020. We’ll do this again next year, when we recap the best Nike LeBrons of 2021.
