LeBron XI WTL(US 9/13), Maison Collection(8/23) - Updated 8/18

[abubakr shaheed]

nike R&D is far better than adidas or any other basketball shoe company. yes there is a lot of hype and marketing involved. but at the end of the day if you want the best shoes to hoop in you go for a pair of nike signature shoes.

 

[ddash]

I give up.

So I first ordered the KP's in a size 10.5.They fit ok but were a little tight because of my wider/fatter feet.Moral of the story I couldve worked with them and maybe broke them in.They really werent bad at all,I just thought an 11 would be perfect.

So I sent them back for a size 11 and they arrived today in perfect condition from Villa.I tried them on and they were f***** tighter and more snug than the 10.5.They were literally cutting off my circulation and that was with them loosened.Length was cool but so was the 10.5s.

I returned the size 11's and just chopped it up that the XI's just arent for my feet.

Sucks because these KPs are so dope.

 

[Mr Dink]

Funny, I just tried on my KPs yesterday. I'm a 10.5-11.0 and have a particularly wide foot and the 10.5 fit me perfectly. As a matter of fact, I was quite shocked at how good the fit was.

 

[domosirchazzo]

I think the problem with the shoe game today is Nike is like one of those fat or ugly chicks on instagram. They really are 6s but thirsty guys gas them up and compliment them to the point where they think theyre 10s. Nike makes shoes that are no better than what you can get for half the price but the thirst for having "the new lebrons" is so high that nike thinks they can price them like theyre made from high quality materials when theyre really not. Supply and demand at its finest   

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Im still gonna cop the forging irons aka orange octobers aka doritos though 

This couldn't be more false and sounds like the same rationale of guys who can't get 8's 9's & dimes so they try to convince themselves that their 6's are comparable.

They're not.

Adidas(or any other company)does not make a better or even comparable basketball shoe.

Casually, just about everything they make for basketball is ugly and there is no getting around that.

And as far as performance, Nike has patents on all their tech like flywire, hyper fuse, lunar, zoom. Air max etc.

How can you compete with Nike's technological advances when they block you from using anything that even remotely resembles what the people are asking for.

That's like all the fine girls telling all the regular girls that they can't wear leggings or make up.

They'd never be able to compete lol

 

[sneakerfree]

For any bay area heads.. Did niketown sf really do a surprise release of the forging irons? Dude from a shoe palace in sacramento just told me his brother copped him a pair yesterday.

 

[mwalker]

Well I called them just to see what's up and if there was actually any info on these....and they said twitter info would be released later this week. So I'm guessing these are launching next weekend along with the Laney's

 

[irishbaz]

OK Ive been playing ball in these about a week now and a few things Ive noticed.

As people have said already they take time to break in so the fit dosent feel revolutionary out the box and you can expect blisters and cuts the first couple of wears regardless of sizing /socks etc. (Not a good start I know)

Once the toebox takes shape the shoe becomes more responsive, the let down for me is the traction. There is good "feel" with the low to the ground stance however the pattern on the sole is bulky (similar to the chain pattern on the 9s) making the shoe feel less connected on dusty courts.

Cushioning is decent, the shoe felt good when running and making cuts but landings can be a bit harsh if your a forefoot plant type. I felt the toebox got a bit cramped when you tighten up the laces, the material between the foam in the toebox is quite harsh on the feet and can cause blistering but the softer posite material at the end ensures no bruised toenails so its not all bad.

Support is good with a decent lace lockdown, there is a good balance between ankle movement and support and if you need the tight fit the tongue has decent padding. The shoe is much lighter than the X but somehow its not light enough to make it feel revolutionary, I guess its well balanced in terms of weight - its a durable shoe yet light enough to suit guards / small forwards (faster players).

One thing I found lacking with this shoe is arch support, the lunar/zoom insole is very flat and if your a player who requires arthritics or additional arch support sizing could be a problem. If you remove the insole there just isn't enough there to make the shoe comfortable - I found this was a similar problem on the jordan 2011.

Overall Id rate these around 7/10, price is a big issue for me on these I just don't see the "enhancements" warrant the price tag. Also when compared to shoes like the Jordan 28 SE and the melo M9 it dosent preform any better in fact out the box the jordan 28 had far more immediate feel and comfort.

I rate the X the same but that shoe looses marks for for different reasons, the Xi will never be my go to shoe, Im not over impressed with ascetics of the shoe the KP colorway is the main selling point on this for for me and if i was to see these in a different colorway on sale I dont think id cop "just for ball" as there are better shoes for less money.

 

[thegatorviking]

Repped for the write up.



Definitely seems these were built for looks first, and ball playing innovation second. I can't blame Nike, it has to look sharp. But I wonder if LeBron is really loving the shoe or not?

 

[dakidlo3]

AvM

 

[Larry Legend]

Wow

OK Ive been playing ball in these about a week now and a few things Ive noticed.

As people have said already they take time to break in so the fit dosent feel revolutionary out the box and you can expect blisters and cuts the first couple of wears regardless of sizing /socks etc. (Not a good start I know)

Once the toebox takes shape the shoe becomes more responsive, the let down for me is the traction. There is good "feel" with the low to the ground stance however the pattern on the sole is bulky (similar to the chain pattern on the 9s) making the shoe feel less connected on dusty courts.

Cushioning is decent, the shoe felt good when running and making cuts but landings can be a bit harsh if your a forefoot plant type. I felt the toebox got a bit cramped when you tighten up the laces, the material between the foam in the toebox is quite harsh on the feet and can cause blistering but the softer posite material at the end ensures no bruised toenails so its not all bad.

Support is good with a decent lace lockdown, there is a good balance between ankle movement and support and if you need the tight fit the tongue has decent padding. The shoe is much lighter than the X but somehow its not light enough to make it feel revolutionary, I guess its well balanced in terms of weight - its a durable shoe yet light enough to suit guards / small forwards (faster players).

One thing I found lacking with this shoe is arch support, the lunar/zoom insole is very flat and if your a player who requires arthritics or additional arch support sizing could be a problem. If you remove the insole there just isn't enough there to make the shoe comfortable - I found this was a similar problem on the jordan 2011.

Overall Id rate these around 7/10, price is a big issue for me on these I just don't see the "enhancements" warrant the price tag. Also when compared to shoes like the Jordan 28 SE and the melo M9 it dosent preform any better in fact out the box the jordan 28 had far more immediate feel and comfort.

I rate the X the same but that shoe looses marks for for different reasons, the Xi will never be my go to shoe, Im not over impressed with ascetics of the shoe the KP colorway is the main selling point on this for for me and if i was to see these in a different colorway on sale I dont think id cop "just for ball" as there are better shoes for less money.

Wow, basically the opposite of nightwings take.. Everyone's feet are different but what to keep in mind here is these shoes were designed specifically for Lebron James feet, tailored to his freakishly odd, wide shaped dogs lol.. That has to factor in somewhere I would imagine.. All I know is for myself, casually they rule

 

[lewi1913]

AvM

The more I see pics, the less I am feeling these. Don't know why...

 

[rl_wayne]

That's probably the first review I've read or seen of the XIs that puts them as being more subpar. Generally I've seen more glowing reviews of these, but different shoes work differently for everybody. Always cool to get some different takes though.

 

[EZMONEY SERVANT]

The more I see pics, the less I am feeling these. Don't know why...

my feelings EXACTLY

and i really really wanted to LOVE these


still the best nickname though

 

[lewi1913]

OK Ive been playing ball in these about a week now and a few things Ive noticed.

Good writeup, thanks.

 

[hypebeast5]

AvM

The more I see pics, the less I am feeling these. Don't know why...

Same here in person will make or break the shoe for me cause ima need to see if it really seems pink or orange

That's probably the first review I've read or seen of the XIs that puts them as being more subpar. Generally I've seen more glowing reviews of these, but different shoes work differently for everybody. Always cool to get some different takes though.

Yea same here, some of those problems he stated are personal gripes tho

 

[sneakerhead112]

will forging irons be limited?

 

[Quincy McCall]

AvM

Looks good, It's just a kicker that from the teaser pic that they changed the color of the swoosh, lost the translucent sole, laces and seem to have a different design in the mesh(cant explain it). I'll make all the decisions on game day

 

[ethan23]

Hmm. At this point only the KP's and Forging Iron's have really excited me. Sometimes I think I love the AvM's, and other times I think they aren't worth the price. The carbon fiber pair to me either needs more pink, or it should have none. The TW's, aways, and gamma blues are all nice, but nothing special in my opinion. It has to be something really nice for me to drop $200

 

[the connoisseur]

It's interesting to see the lukewarm reaction to the Akron-Miami, and kind of refreshing actually. It shows me the South Beach craze might finally be over. It seems like yesterday that dudes were beasting over the mere sniff of a LeBron shoe with pink and teal on it. Now we have some pretty good pics, and the reaction is "meh."


Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe the beasts just aren't as prevalent on NT anymore. Either way, a good thing..

 

[hulk7280]

 
I give up.

So I first ordered the KP's in a size 10.5.They fit ok but were a little tight because of my wider/fatter feet.Moral of the story I couldve worked with them and maybe broke them in.They really werent bad at all,I just thought an 11 would be perfect.

So I sent them back for a size 11 and they arrived today in perfect condition from Villa.I tried them on and they were f***** tighter and more snug than the 10.5.They were literally cutting off my circulation and that was with them loosened.Length was cool but so was the 10.5s.

I returned the size 11's and just chopped it up that the XI's just arent for my feet.

Sucks because these KPs are so dope.

did you try to loosen up the laces? 

 

[chiacrack]

I thought I had wide feet, but I had no issues with the sizing, if anything mine are too big, but I can live with that because I've had shoes too tight and it sucks

picking up another pair on Friday, going with my natural 11 this time

 

[hulk7280]

 
will forging irons be limited?

more then likely they will be.. 

 

[tigo0240]

I'm going to be captain obvious and say that these shoes do not have a standardized fit. Someone mentioned before about production dates; I've had three pairs in my hand and all of them had mismatched dates. Like, really off. nearly a month apart on one pair.

One pair of size 14's was so snug on my left foot that it was unbearable. The other pair of 14's felt a little looser, but the hyperposite was rock hard on the left shoe. Almost as if it was a completely different material than the right shoe. It also felt higher than the right shoe. The 15's gave me enough room all-over that they were at least semi-comfy.


I don't know...I'm frustrated because I love the way the XI's look, but that's about it. I was expecting a lot more. It's a very innovative shoe, but I'd ball in a pair of hyperdunks over these any day.

 

[poohdini816]

I'm willin to bet money Nike drop these when they drop the DBs

 

[poohdini816]

I'm not too impressed w/ the AvM like I was when I first saw pics of them...those are probably one of those pairs where u must see them in person, cuz I didn't like the Cannons until I saw them in person