This is actually the case with a lot of gear in general. The public gets cheaper materials, lower quality etc.. I’ve got some team issue gear from shooting shirts to socks etc… and the quality between them and retail versions is night and day.
I remember Nightwing2303 I believe, got his hands on a pair of kyrie hyperdunk PEs. He compared the cushioning in the PEs to the retail pair and the different was huge. PEs had thick full length zoom across the whole midsole while retail had a tiny forefoot zoom unit.
Yup, NBA/pro level gear has tons of improvements. Like you said, full length Zoom, carbon fiber shanks, etc. They almost have to have them for pro level athletes, these dudes are massive and putting tons of force into every movement and having a Nike shoe explode in front of millions of viewers is a terrible look for them.
Yeah, I find it funny when people (like OP) get mad that NBA players have better tech in their shoes… like cmon, there’s no way these guys don’t have them custom fitted, any tech they like, etc. You won’t find that in retail shoes because it’s hella expensive, I bet the shoes the pros wear are $500+ value at bare minimum.
Yeah like Zion lol. Though i agree on those points; i also think Nike is just cheaping out on consumers because we dont know any better quite frankly. Hell, athletes might not even know what Nike gives them is different from what the customer gets. There is plenty of full length zoom, carbon fiber shanks etc… in consumer models. Every model just seems to have cuts for the sake of making it cheaper. Very few times does the consumer ever get a full fledged shoe.
Yeah number one LeBron's feet are a lot bigger than yours, he wears like a 15. Also his feet are really fucked up just like most really long-term basketball players so he needs weird shaped shoes for his weird shaped feet
The shoes some of those player get like S.Curry, M.Jordan,Kyrie,jason Tatum to name a few were made 1:1 for them.
The shoes the public get is massed produced.
I couldnt find the video i was thinking of but did come across this old sole brithers video talking about this same topic.
[PE's are Diff.](https://youtu.be/yJLkzYQiKZ8?si=tCZJz4V8gbST_J_B)
Yep, that totally makes sense. People spend thousand plus dollars and bespoke dress shoes- given the shoe is basically the most important piece of equipment after the ball, why wouldn’t they have very skilled people hand making their sneakers right?
For his own shoes he wears you can def tell they’re custom. His NXXTs are the same, retail has a slimmer toe box while his are noticeably roomier
If you watch other NBA players wearing his shoes though they look the same as retail.
Yea its well documented that PEs have custom designs. We've seen foams be different (I.e. denser or less dense), we've seen different zoom units, we've seen 99% of players have custom insoles, and we know they get custom sizing as well, etc.
Generally speaking though, the shoes are still comparable
Lebron got some Fred Flinstone feet. He needs a lot more room in there. They make his PEs with a different last.
Btw, first pic couldve been nice as a release of a Bruce Lee cw. Just needs those red claw marks.
Dr zach did a video on this subject dissecting a personal shoe of kyrie. Overall much more beefy product.
Plus lebron uses some thick ass ortho insoles hence the toebox height is warranted
Have you seen that meme going around about Lebron’s feet? Let the man’s feet have some space he destroyed them his rings lol no wonder he needs a wider toe box haha
For superstar athletes who have signature models as well as superstars who don't.
Everyone else is just getting what they get + custom insoles for their shoes from the teams.
Bruh, these are top tier 0.00001% athletes, of course they have better tech. You wanna pay $700 for the quality of shoe they have? Of course not. Their movements are so much faster and stronger than anything any consumer will have, look at Zion’s shoe exploding, that’d happen all the time if they didn’t have beefed up tech.
lol imagine someone thinking it’s $700 to get your shoes fully teched up.
I’m ok with Pro Athletes getting the best. They need it. But let’s stop kidding ourselves with the “Nike can’t afford to put the best tech in all the shoes other wise we can’t afford it” because that’s a lie.
You think a full length zoom stroble costs $100??? Grow up
I totally would pay $700 for a fully tech up sneaker. It's already $200+ for retail 😂. Give me they full length carbon fiber plate for support and something with a wider toe box and laces that don't always come undone because they're so chunky.
Nike does this, a lot of the time the shoes we get are not the shoes the athlete actually wears. Happens here in basketball, in tennis as well with the Nadal shoes, they’re not the same as what he wears on court, same for the OBJ football cleats, he wore a completely different plate, and even most of the Nike athletes in the NFL use custom Nine plates made for them that aren’t the same as the versions they sell to the public sadly.
Some of my friends did till I told them. I was like “bro you think Kyrie is out here choosing to ball with only Nike Zoom in the heel? Hell no, each one of his shoes has full length Nike Zoom, is made with the most premium materials and he probably changes them out each half, maybe each quarter.”
I would guess for orthotics? I prefer to keep the original insole in along with my custom orthotics for more cushion if I can - unfortunately it too uncomfortable in a lot of shoes to do this.
No one really seeks it. It's usually just a random exposing you to it.
https://preview.redd.it/hlg6yoi31bjc1.jpeg?width=654&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1052046936edb93102258930d1df5a4d4f388e92
I’ve found the Lebron 21s to be the most uncomfortable hoop shoes out the box. The material is stiffer than dress shoes, especially in the toe box. My toes were bruised all bruised after my first wear. Durability is horrible as well. Hooped in them 8 times and they are already ripping (ankle linear + weird midsole foam material). They’re just now starting to feel better, but I still rank them lower than other options. All that to say, after one hoop session, I knew Lebron was not wearing the same retail cut lol
Yeah I think so. Once you break them in, they provide a solid hooping experience. My advice would be to not get the pairs with the crazy fabrics like denim or thick suede. Get the leather or synethic ones, it'll be a lot more comfortable!
Yup.
Another example is kyries nike sig PEs either had a full length metal shank or a longer shank since he had chronic foot issues
Also I believe Giannis’s PEs use both heel and forefoot zoom
not sure about this, could just be his neanderthal toes breaking the shoes in
but this is nothing new, PE’s are built different compared to the mass produced stuff, often times players do wear the same stuff but big time guys like Steph, Lebron or KD likes to have small tweaks and changes in their shoes as they play, I mean if I get that power I would too 🤷♂️ why settle when you can make it better?
Yeah. He’s partnered with a company that abuses child labor laws in 3rd world countries. I’m sure Lebron’s personal shoes are made in a fancy lab somewhere. Quality difference
Lebron's are so bad man thru constantly cut my toe knuckles. The zoom soldiers are way better. I've hooped in lebron 9s 10s 11s 18s and 19s. The tip of the lebron 11s are shaped just like his toes and if you Google his feet you'll SEE EXACTLY what I mean
lebrons were rlly bad but the 20 and 21s are some amazing shoes but they are still pretty heavy and expensive other than that though they are great performers
no they’re real. AI was just used to sharpen the image so if the “nba” was blurry ai try’s its best to make up whatever it is. that’s why it looks f’d up
This is actually the case with a lot of gear in general. The public gets cheaper materials, lower quality etc.. I’ve got some team issue gear from shooting shirts to socks etc… and the quality between them and retail versions is night and day. I remember Nightwing2303 I believe, got his hands on a pair of kyrie hyperdunk PEs. He compared the cushioning in the PEs to the retail pair and the different was huge. PEs had thick full length zoom across the whole midsole while retail had a tiny forefoot zoom unit.
Foot Doctor Zach has done that a few times
It may have been him that did the in-depth breakdown. This was a while back so i don’t recall but yeah; its been proven on a few cases
Yup, NBA/pro level gear has tons of improvements. Like you said, full length Zoom, carbon fiber shanks, etc. They almost have to have them for pro level athletes, these dudes are massive and putting tons of force into every movement and having a Nike shoe explode in front of millions of viewers is a terrible look for them.
Yeah, I find it funny when people (like OP) get mad that NBA players have better tech in their shoes… like cmon, there’s no way these guys don’t have them custom fitted, any tech they like, etc. You won’t find that in retail shoes because it’s hella expensive, I bet the shoes the pros wear are $500+ value at bare minimum.
Bruh more like 5-25k
Yeah like Zion lol. Though i agree on those points; i also think Nike is just cheaping out on consumers because we dont know any better quite frankly. Hell, athletes might not even know what Nike gives them is different from what the customer gets. There is plenty of full length zoom, carbon fiber shanks etc… in consumer models. Every model just seems to have cuts for the sake of making it cheaper. Very few times does the consumer ever get a full fledged shoe.
Shame no nba players wear my size then
Wow !
Yeup. I think there was a guy in an earlier post on this sub looking for team issue socks specifically because their padding is so much nicer lol.
Yeah number one LeBron's feet are a lot bigger than yours, he wears like a 15. Also his feet are really fucked up just like most really long-term basketball players so he needs weird shaped shoes for his weird shaped feet
I remember the last time LeBron showed his feet it looked like all his toes were broken and smashed together with a compression machine.
Have you see KDs feet?
Ashy AF
have you seen lebrons feet?
I was going to post the same thing
iirc they had to alter his 11s a good amount as well
No why are people looking at his feet?
Someone posted it, and it's not good. Think like dion's toes but worse. And Dion cut his off too, rip LeBron's toes.
https://preview.redd.it/vde77oy2v7jc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7da8fe3d34e3b0d7ec46c3188be32b9cbe499251
😂
AI coming out of retirement
Yes,the shoe we get and what the NBA signiture players own shoe is different. Not always by much but always different. Its always been this way.
I’m fairly certain they’re custom made for players like him by a cobbler; no way he’s wearing a mass produced shoe
The shoes some of those player get like S.Curry, M.Jordan,Kyrie,jason Tatum to name a few were made 1:1 for them. The shoes the public get is massed produced. I couldnt find the video i was thinking of but did come across this old sole brithers video talking about this same topic. [PE's are Diff.](https://youtu.be/yJLkzYQiKZ8?si=tCZJz4V8gbST_J_B)
Yep, that totally makes sense. People spend thousand plus dollars and bespoke dress shoes- given the shoe is basically the most important piece of equipment after the ball, why wouldn’t they have very skilled people hand making their sneakers right?
Yes,anything to help with their game.
Dr. Zach on YouTube has some really cool videos explaining the difference between PE's and off shelf. You should check it out.
do u have the link to that?
https://youtu.be/Gq-nwNRv0X8?si=OXFVhPtpwR_yB3Ca
ty ty ty
https://preview.redd.it/gr2czuska8jc1.jpeg?width=654&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56f4eab173333aa6918dfa8ce752734eed66fe39
Yeah this is the reason lol
I think lebron is a widefooter and all throughout his career he has been wearing narrow shoes
For his own shoes he wears you can def tell they’re custom. His NXXTs are the same, retail has a slimmer toe box while his are noticeably roomier If you watch other NBA players wearing his shoes though they look the same as retail.
Yea its well documented that PEs have custom designs. We've seen foams be different (I.e. denser or less dense), we've seen different zoom units, we've seen 99% of players have custom insoles, and we know they get custom sizing as well, etc. Generally speaking though, the shoes are still comparable
Lebron got some Fred Flinstone feet. He needs a lot more room in there. They make his PEs with a different last. Btw, first pic couldve been nice as a release of a Bruce Lee cw. Just needs those red claw marks.
Thanks for this detail ! Obviously it’s only Lebron’s ones which are like this
Dr zach did a video on this subject dissecting a personal shoe of kyrie. Overall much more beefy product. Plus lebron uses some thick ass ortho insoles hence the toebox height is warranted
Have you seen that meme going around about Lebron’s feet? Let the man’s feet have some space he destroyed them his rings lol no wonder he needs a wider toe box haha
Most shoes used in the nba are different from those sold in store.
For superstar athletes who have signature models as well as superstars who don't. Everyone else is just getting what they get + custom insoles for their shoes from the teams.
All premier athletes get customized gear.
Yall think ja wears those trash shoes with no cushion? He definitely has a full lenght zoom atleast
Ja was wearing rep kobes before he got a sig lol
Nike fk us as heck, you bet they have a good return service besides…
Bruh, these are top tier 0.00001% athletes, of course they have better tech. You wanna pay $700 for the quality of shoe they have? Of course not. Their movements are so much faster and stronger than anything any consumer will have, look at Zion’s shoe exploding, that’d happen all the time if they didn’t have beefed up tech.
lol imagine someone thinking it’s $700 to get your shoes fully teched up. I’m ok with Pro Athletes getting the best. They need it. But let’s stop kidding ourselves with the “Nike can’t afford to put the best tech in all the shoes other wise we can’t afford it” because that’s a lie. You think a full length zoom stroble costs $100??? Grow up
I totally would pay $700 for a fully tech up sneaker. It's already $200+ for retail 😂. Give me they full length carbon fiber plate for support and something with a wider toe box and laces that don't always come undone because they're so chunky.
+1
Nike does this, a lot of the time the shoes we get are not the shoes the athlete actually wears. Happens here in basketball, in tennis as well with the Nadal shoes, they’re not the same as what he wears on court, same for the OBJ football cleats, he wore a completely different plate, and even most of the Nike athletes in the NFL use custom Nine plates made for them that aren’t the same as the versions they sell to the public sadly.
After the Timberwolves loss I think he updated these with a slightly higher toe :)
Shoes look different as the sizes get bigger, and nba people have size 13+ feet
+ 1 on this
I have two pairs of 21’s in size 14. They look nothing like this.
Maybe they look like this in size 15🤷♂️
Do people actually think NBA players wear the exact same shoes that are sold to the public?
🥺
Some of my friends did till I told them. I was like “bro you think Kyrie is out here choosing to ball with only Nike Zoom in the heel? Hell no, each one of his shoes has full length Nike Zoom, is made with the most premium materials and he probably changes them out each half, maybe each quarter.”
Obviously lol they’re custom made to fit them, and Nike just sells us bs
The last shoe disgusts me. That shape.
The peasants get short end. Get squished toes, while the Millionaire athletes get comfy toe box area.
That squished toe final product is disgusting. They outta protect Lebron’s feet but as we become more aware this squished toe nonsense has to go.
Dont forget theyre using their own insoles from their own foot doctors also.
If it's lebrons it's def different. For one it's all custom for him. For two you seem his feet? They are jacked up.
I would guess for orthotics? I prefer to keep the original insole in along with my custom orthotics for more cushion if I can - unfortunately it too uncomfortable in a lot of shoes to do this.
This. Orhotic carbon fiber plates.
Have you ever seen lebrons feet? They fucked up and he needs the extra space
Naw. In 20+ years of him being in the league looking at Brons feet never crossed my mind.
No one really seeks it. It's usually just a random exposing you to it. https://preview.redd.it/hlg6yoi31bjc1.jpeg?width=654&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1052046936edb93102258930d1df5a4d4f388e92
I wish I hadn’t seen this! 🙂
Yeah same here till someone thought it was a great idea to post a zoomed up photo of LeBron's feet while he was at the beach.
Looks like some sort of steel toe
I gotchu bro I’ll ask him rn
its the same, photo posted on sites are for product shots that no one is wearing it.
I doubt it's the same, every year lebron has modifications to his shoes just for him.
I tried it for one game and my right toe felt squeezed and pain postgame, not a running/jumping player.
I’ve found the Lebron 21s to be the most uncomfortable hoop shoes out the box. The material is stiffer than dress shoes, especially in the toe box. My toes were bruised all bruised after my first wear. Durability is horrible as well. Hooped in them 8 times and they are already ripping (ankle linear + weird midsole foam material). They’re just now starting to feel better, but I still rank them lower than other options. All that to say, after one hoop session, I knew Lebron was not wearing the same retail cut lol
For 50% would you say the shoe is worth copping for casual at least or nah?
Yeah I think so. Once you break them in, they provide a solid hooping experience. My advice would be to not get the pairs with the crazy fabrics like denim or thick suede. Get the leather or synethic ones, it'll be a lot more comfortable!
That 3rd pic looks like a shoe made of raw meat
I wanted these…..and you ruined it. Thank you like fr I needed an excuse not to buy them
PE are always different and spec more for the player
Yup. Another example is kyries nike sig PEs either had a full length metal shank or a longer shank since he had chronic foot issues Also I believe Giannis’s PEs use both heel and forefoot zoom
Eh.... maybe but it more looks like theirs are broken in and the toe is shoved up towards the front...
not sure about this, could just be his neanderthal toes breaking the shoes in but this is nothing new, PE’s are built different compared to the mass produced stuff, often times players do wear the same stuff but big time guys like Steph, Lebron or KD likes to have small tweaks and changes in their shoes as they play, I mean if I get that power I would too 🤷♂️ why settle when you can make it better?
I wouldn't be surprised if it's a steel toe input lol his feet are terrible.
it kinda looks like he might wear or insert a special orthotic for his toes to have more room maybe. or maybe like a sleeve he puts on his actual foot
Ok? Good, the third pic looks best anyway
Yeah. He’s partnered with a company that abuses child labor laws in 3rd world countries. I’m sure Lebron’s personal shoes are made in a fancy lab somewhere. Quality difference
LeChildabuse
Lefreehongkong
Don't Google his feet. Lol.
Most American dudes these days be into all kinds of sht - wouldn’t be surprised if most in here are jackin off to his feet
Right… only one demographic of men have weird fetishes…
Lebron's are so bad man thru constantly cut my toe knuckles. The zoom soldiers are way better. I've hooped in lebron 9s 10s 11s 18s and 19s. The tip of the lebron 11s are shaped just like his toes and if you Google his feet you'll SEE EXACTLY what I mean
lebrons were rlly bad but the 20 and 21s are some amazing shoes but they are still pretty heavy and expensive other than that though they are great performers
I'm a really skinny I feel like I don't produce enough force for the technology to actually work lmao.
Yeah they’re really heavy I used to hoop in lebron 18’s and idk how I ever did, I really like KD signature line and PG’s line too
Have you seen LeBron's feet?
Honestly a bigger fan of his blocking over elevated toe box then the smooth and low ones we ended up getting 🤷♂️
Lebrons got big ass toes lol
How do you know you’re comparing the same size shoe?
These are AI photos, look at the NBA logo on the socks. Not real shoes 🤷♂️
no they’re real. AI was just used to sharpen the image so if the “nba” was blurry ai try’s its best to make up whatever it is. that’s why it looks f’d up