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words // Nick DePaula:
For years, Nike Basketball’s Elite Series has looked to add reinforcements, embellishments and added support to its annual signature models. To be completely honest, the LeBron series didn’t need all that.
It needed to be stripped down. Lighter. Less bulk. More flexible.
The new LeBron 13 Elite looks like that shoe. It’s the LeBron sneaker we’ve been asking for for three years now.
With a synthetic rubberized kurim upper, also seen on shoes like the Kobe VI and Kobe IX EXT Hi, the 13 Elite features a simplified upper without all the fussiness and additional molded parts of the Foamposite-based LeBron 11, 12 and 13.
There’s also a veering carbon fiber wing that extends up into the midfoot for support, and the same hexagonal Zoom-equipped cushioning setup is carried over into the outsole.
Stay tuned for more information on retail price, and look for the Red/Black to release on Thursday, April 14th, just before the playoffs start. The White/Black/Gold edition launches on Thursday, May 5th, and the Black/White will release on May 26.
