The newest shoe for the King releases beginning September 27.
Source: LEBRON 17 Official Images and Release Date
A healthy basketball line creates a healthier sneaker marketplace. This is important to me because to compile information and data I sell shoes. I use shoes to do videos and I look at the shoes to provide articles like this:
In the post above I discuss how the average price of sneaker sales have fallen in the 3rd party arena. When sneaker price transactions are higher it’s good for all parties. When Nike delivers a drop like the LeBron 17 and there isn’t any outside competition from other brands, this a serious issue. Just last week adidas announced the release of the Volume 4 for James Harden:
Harden Vol. 4 Delivers Another adidas Model featuring Lightstrike
I’ve watched videos on the new shoes and of course there are pictures here from adidas, but unlike Nike the Harden 4 was left on an island and a lot of information that could resonate with fans wasn’t even presented. In contrast the LeBron launch delivers as much content as possible on why and how the shoe was created:
“We had ‘the blueprint’ in mind for the 17, and we started from the ground up on everything, whether that was the construction of the knit or the way we could protect him underfoot with Air bags,” says Nike’s Jason Petrie, designer of the LEBRON XVII. “The silhouette was a way to reset the mark for LeBron, and futuristically explore how we could help his game with the best that Nike offers.”
In one paragraph the designer was given a voice and now a kid who might want to design shoes knows why the shoe was created and a kid who wants to wear the shoe understands why the structure is the way it is. This is in direct contrast to how Harden Vol. 4 arrived. This isn’t the first time Nike and adidas have launched footwear at the same time and the difference is apparent:
Nike and adidas Prepare for the NBA Season in Distinctive Ways | Marketing
When the Harden Vol. 3 dropped we had a very similar situation. The difference in marketing was striking. Nike, however, walks into each battle in basketball in the same manner. They deliver the entire story, on their website, in great detail giving both the designer and player top billing which resonates with kids who play ball and kids who want to create these products.
It really makes a difference. Look at this Kyrie release:
Why ‘Meet Kyrie Irving’s New Design Partner’ is the Right Direction | Marketing
Nike knows that more kids look like Ben than they look like Kyrie. One of the few moments that was overlooked in the LeBron information is that Nike has taken a lifestyle Max Air cushion and moved it into performance. The LeBron 17 features what is an Air Max 270 performance cushion which allows me to move into a full circle discussion on footwear and the idea that performance is dead. The 270 has been one of Nike’s best sellers since it released in 2017. The brand has chosen to be subtle in taking their flagship hoops signature model more towards lifestyle than it has been in recent years. People who have worn the 270 will be more likely to try this new LeBron. Could this mean an increase in sales for the line?
I definitely hope it does, as the market is not doing very well and one of the major contributors to this problem are the abundance of basketball releases that continue to fall flat upon releasing creating a promotional environment. I hope that the 17 hits home. My fingers are crossed.