Nike Zoom LeBron II

LeBron James was drafted right out of high school and became one of the few �Prep-to-Pro� players in the league. The inauspicious beginning did not prevent Nike from recognizing a future champion, and they quickly partnered with him to bring out a line of mid-top LeBron sneakers.

The first in the line did not bear his name and was named the Nike Air Zoom Generation.

The line�s name was changed to reflect the rising star with the release of the Nike Zoom LeBron IIs. The original release to retail included three colorways and arrived in stores on November 6, 2004.

The LeBron James strap closure basketball sneakers included many technological advances as a performance shoe. The first was the use of dual Max Zoom units, one under the forefoot and one under the heel. These Max Zoom units were evolved versions of the already popular Zoom Air units.

The LeBron IIs also featured a fully removable ankle strap. The use of these straps became consistent with both the Zoom LeBron line as well as the LeBron Soldier line for many generations of the shoe. The Zoom LeBron line lasted through six generations before changing the cushioning technology.

Nike did not waste time expanding into another line of LeBron James strap closure basketball sneakers. They began developing the LeBron Soldier line, with the first edition released in 2007. By the summer of 2008, Nike had released the second version of the Soldier line.

While both mid-top LeBron sneakers bore King James�s style, they were in no way merely different renditions of the same shoe. The LeBron II Soldier dropped the use of straps for additional lockdown control. Rather, the shoe featured an added eyelet to provide additional ankle support.

The Soldier II was also released over the summer, an unusual time for a basketball shoe. It paid homage to James� heritage of learning to shoot with milk crates instead of hoops. The tread, the forefoot, and even the lace loops were inspired by those milk crates.