Nike Air Max LeBron VII Performance Review
Posted by George Kiel III | Aug 10, 2009 One can argue that Lebron James’s signature sneaker line is parallel to his basketball skill set. It seems, with each passing year, ‘King James’ continues to get better and better; likewise, his latest shoe always seems to be better than his last. However, his sixth signature shoe, the Nike Zoom LeBron VI was a very quality sneaker performance-wise and makeup-wise. While each person is entitled to his/her opinion on style preference, could the Nike Air Max LeBron VII surpass the Zoom LeBron VI in performance capabilities?
During the LeBron James Innovation and Inspiration Summit, we got the chance to put the Air Max LeBron VII through an interactive wear-test session for 45 minutes to an hour at St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School (LeBron’s high school). There, James’s high school coach Dru Joyce took the attendees through specific drills and let us engage in short-stinted five on five games. Our previous performance reviews were created after playing in the specific shoe for weeks, however, after only playing in the Air Max LeBron VII for a short amount of time, we are still able to see what LeBron’s seventh signature shoe was all about.Check out more detailed shots of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII after the break as well as the performance review and score card on following pages. |
Nike Air Max LeBron VII Performance Review - George Kiel III
Strengths: When first sliding your foot into the Air Max LeBron VII, you automatically feel an extreme comfort level which is ideal for a basketball player. While we have heard some mouths skeptical of the Air Max technology instead of the Zoom attributes, one cannot argue the unmatched cushion attributes this shoe possesses. LeBron James himself described it best: “It’s as if you are walking on air.” The full-length 360 Max airbag meets the demands of a player who moves with extreme power by featuring such a respnsive feel. In other words, pertaining to its low-to-the-ground attributes, one is able to get off the ground (vertical response time) effortlessly. The Air Max LeBron VII contains a very ‘bouncy’ feel to it and does not weight you down at all. With that said, you can also give credit to lightweight capacity. The up-to-date flywire technology gives the sneaker an undoubtedly low ounce level, while also possessing extreme stability level from the forefoot to the heel. To sum things up, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII can successfully be worn by positions 1-5 on the hardwood. It contains a nice contrast of lightweight capacity with unmatched stability.
Weaknesses: You would have to dig very deep to find any obvious weaknesses on the Air Max LeBron VII. Matter of fact, it does not have weaknessess; it possesses areas that are questionable after many wears. Even LeBron stated, “I have wear-tested it while practicing, but I have not had the chance to full-fledge play in it on the NBA hardwood yet.” With that said, one question we all continue to debate is whether or not the flywire technology can withstand the rigors of an all-out war on the hardwood. Sure, the Hyperdunk, the Hyperize and the Zoom Kobe IV are without a doubt superb sneakers, however, it remains to be seen how they last over an extended period of time. Yet, after talking with Jason Petrie, the designer of the Air Max LeBron VII, we now know that flywire technology is evolving consistently and this particular sneaker contains additional, sturdy flywire features that the aforementioned shoes do not possess. In addition, there are not many perforations on the upper which can possibly be a problem of breathability over long stretches of game. However, name us a perfect sneaker and we will give you $1,000,000. Sorry, you cannot do it.
Overall, the Air Max LeBron VII is an unparalled sneaker and stands for everything that is ‘future’ at Nike. From the time we had the chance to play in it, this sneaker performs very well and provides the player with an advantage due to its extreme comfort, lightweight capacity and stability.
Nov 13, 2009 at 11:38 am
had a slide into this coz no doubt this is the best design yet on the LeBron series after the III but again the zoom air to airmax was the big difference.unfortunately, if you’re less than 200lbs,you won’t get the best out of em airmax cushion bags unlike the zoom air whose response is for all positions.profile is a bit stiff and off the ground and very remarkable si the breathability.i have a hyperize and the comfort and breathability is way to top the 7. i wonder why the designer failed to add vents if not added perforations to the shoe maybe incorporating it with the segmented diamonds of the flywire.what’s best with this shoe is the ankle lockdown.it went close by par with the jordan series when it comes to this aspect with just a lacing system without needing straps whatsoever.traction is good most on hardwood but i think this would be eaten on the blacktop.that has always been the downside when you cushion with airmax coz you have to use gumlike compound with it.moving forward, maybe Nike can incorporate adding lunarlite and xdr in one shoe to answer both comfort and durability.i’d still give it 8 out of 10.2pts more for breathability and durability and these could have been perfect
Nov 10, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Got me a pair of these and am wearin dem right now. They are amazing. Worth the buy. Very comfortable and very light
Nov 7, 2009 at 9:49 am
Kobe IV’s-I stick to the court, sometimes too well, and are so light and cushy I forget that I have them on.
Brons VII-Look cool, but feel like I’m wearing boots when compared to the Kobe IV’s.
Oct 26, 2009 at 9:21 pm
They’re not durable? can you post a pic of them after they were tested?
Oct 17, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Just copped the China Moons. I will be getting as many colorways as I can!!!!
Oct 13, 2009 at 9:21 am
Already copped…
Sep 17, 2009 at 10:53 am
i had a pair of jump man superfreaks i baught em in the 7th grade and the lasted through the 11th grade and they are still wearable just not basketball playing wearable so is this the perfect shoe and i played basketball year around in them
Aug 19, 2009 at 12:57 am
seven wolves
Aug 17, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I agree, they look like best LeBron’s to hit the hardwood. Only I hear its price tag will be a pretty hefty $160. Ive heard october 24 as a release date. I think I just might HAVE to cop these.
Aug 15, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Dis are the best Lebron zooms ever made. Dis will b the breakthru year for the KIng.
Aug 15, 2009 at 1:02 pm
cool
Aug 12, 2009 at 8:11 am
both23’s are the best. jordan and lebrons. i rock both. i love the best. but the lebrons with the big swooh were hot also to all the fans who dont know his shoes. ive been doing his shoes. dont try 2 jump on the wagon now that u have seen a fly pair of shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:11 pm
lebron should keep the nike sign on his kicks. So we remember him as a player when he retires. Nike makes his shoes; that is nothing to be ashamed of.
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Max—
I hope your question was not real.
Aug 11, 2009 at 9:11 am
am ibuggn or are these kiccs kinda wacc ?
Aug 11, 2009 at 8:50 am
These will give me extra leverage on the court….Great job nike…
Aug 11, 2009 at 5:55 am
i’m a kobe fan and a kobe-shoe fan. but this is better than the zoom kobe v. good job with this shoes, nike.
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:10 am
91/100 - not bad at all!
I’m ready to get my hands on a pair, to do work in!
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:06 am
i need these in my life!! i dont like how the breathabilty is 6 and durabilty is 7(does that mean they wont last a long time? and are these light?? heavy?? what shoe would u compare it to on the weight?
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:02 am
Bananaz is what they are SHOUT TO LBJ, doin his thing regardless of the Media and all the hoop la. These jints go so hurd. Defintley gone kill the Garden wit deez Jints.
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:49 am
Time to continue the collection
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:42 am
Also I saw a pair at airjordanclub.com and I was wondering if they were legit
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:40 am
Hey chitownswagg or anyone else, where can I bet a pair of these, and I want them to be inexspensive, cause these shoes are hot! And I need a pair of basketball shoes
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:44 am
Is there one of these for the vi. Like stregth and weakness article
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:07 am
hopoff-
if you land on someone’s foot no amount of ankle support in your shoe is going to prevent that. See the Kobe interview where he talks about the IV. In fact if you had a bunch of ankle “support” in your shoe and you landed funny or you landed on someone’s foot you’d probably be more likely to break your ankle than sprain it.
Strengthening your legs and ankles is the way to prevent injury. Not a high top shoe.
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:04 am
looks like next season Lebron has the best kicks in NBA
just waiting to see Dwade’s
Aug 11, 2009 at 12:06 am
no mention on ankle support? thats one of the most important aspects in a basketball sneaker imo. god knows how many times ive sprained my ankles from landing on someone’s foot after a board or layup.
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:41 pm
$1,000,000 to find a perfect basketball sneaker? Ok nicekicks, just wait. It will happen.
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:44 pm
the v’s are currently the best pair of lebrons you can ball in…hope to see what the vii’s can do…
Aug 10, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Where can I get these
Aug 10, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Where’s my zoom tech? No carbon fiber plate. Honestly the VI’s made ya feet sweat hard to, so the VII’s having the same problem is not new. The review is great, but i guess I have to get warm to these. Been with Lb since the jump this realy shook up his like I must admit. Best lebron IV, III, and VI will see how these stack up. I wear a 14 and play forward they’ll take punishment.
Aug 10, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I need the blue colorway plz… Thanku
Aug 10, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Haven’t got a pair of the King’s kicks for a while but look like that about to change.
Aug 10, 2009 at 8:19 pm
GOD I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THESE!!!!!!!!! I haven’t even seen em in person yet and I know they are gonna be one of my all time favorites!!!
Aug 10, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Yeah, so far this looks to be a superior basketball shoe in every way (when comparing to other brands). I think putting flywire on top of a full length air max unit was out of left field…but it’s going to work. Some of the most comfortable basketball shoes have been on top of an abundance of air…the uptempos, the pippens, etc. And this silhouette is freaking gorgeous.
With all of the free PR that D. Wade is seeing, whomever ends up designing his first signature shoe (i’m sure it’s already designed) had better stick to the basics, because that’s whats selling.
Aug 10, 2009 at 8:03 pm
If Sprint wasn’t releasing the Touch Pro 2 around the same time these come out, this would be a release-date purchase for me. I will probably get these in another C.W. when they are released as long as the R.S. AJ XIIs or the S.J. XIs aren’t released with them.
Aug 10, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I hate to say it but, no other signature shoe will match up to the Air Max Lebron VII during this upcoming NBA season. Damn Nike, show Kobe some love! He did win the championship this year LOL.
Aug 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Man these are so nice! The look and apparently even the performance is phenomenal. I was going to get some Hyperdunks on Nike ID for B-ball season but now I will definitely be getting these instead!
Aug 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
yea i got to admit these looking pretty hot.
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:58 pm
whatever happened to carbon-fiber base plates? thought that was supposed to be the wave of the future.
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Hmm…not breathable, can’t have em I would sweat a lot even if I had flip flops lol
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I’ll definitely try and get a pair. It looks like lebron won all sneakerheads over with this pair
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:27 pm
i just kind of wish they had rope laces instead of the flat ones but F it im still down
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Fresh whether you like LBJ or not, glad to say hes my favorite player who has the best signature shoes in the league
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:21 pm
these are the 1st lebrons i would even dare compare to any jordan these are lookin ripe!
Aug 10, 2009 at 6:21 pm
How to these compare to the Hyperize and the soldier 3s?
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Itz hot ….. Better than the rest I must admit
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:56 pm
wen do they come out?
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:54 pm
the shoe looks BANANAS,best lookin shoe from his line to date
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:45 pm
By far the best LeBron yet
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:32 pm
These are a must-cop. Might be the first LeBrons i copp (came close with the foamposite joints, but didn’t wanna hoop in some lead moon boots).
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:27 pm
the greatest shoes to play real, actual ball in were the air jordan 14’s. no other sneaker has ever come close to those!!
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:24 pm
By far the best lebron ever!
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I have the white/green colorway. You have to really break em in for comfort!!
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:21 pm
these are hot need a green and black colorway so i can hoop in them for bball
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:19 pm
i might get them
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:13 pm
*VIII
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:12 pm
These are his breakout, and might be the beginning of something for LeBron brand… Just wait, there won’t be a swoosh on the VII’s.
Aug 10, 2009 at 5:11 pm
1st!!!!! Those gona look good in da Gardan!!! lol