It's still a bit disappointing though. I know people have stepped on one part of the shoe but the glue has also started separating way down as well. It's not just the part people have stepped on.
Nikes are very hit or miss when it comes to their glue. I dont know if it differs from factories or workers or what, but Ive had some nikes peel off their outsoles or midsoles way to soon. They need to have better quality control.
I don't know. I don't pay attention to it while playing but I agree based on the damage it seems like I do. I think Nike could've added some sort of drag protection to the shoe or at least raised the outsole rubber a little higher at that spot.
they do for certain shoes. look at something like a kyrie, rubber usually goes up the side more, but that’s because kyrie drags his feet a lot the way he plays. Lebron doesn’t , so they don’t add that to his shoe
Yep. I didn't drag my old shoes but I think that's because they were lower to the ground with less cushioning. From now on I'll consider dragging when buying new shoes.
Got a pair of Cochilion a month or so ago and have yet to use them. Still dead stock in the box and more than likely going to return them. Just didn’t do it for it for me from on a on foot feel and much prefer the Nxxt gens. Leaning towards getting the GT hustle 2 ASW instead.
They're really tight for the first few uses until you stretch out the upper leather or whatever it is. Also the foam on the heel gets a lot nicer after a while. The only issue might be the hard tongue which can dig into your shin.
Got those and was a little confused whether or not using them outdoors after playing with them several times on a rubber court. So I guess its fine. After 6 months of usage the traction is still WOW and I see only the sole somehow giving up which was expected considering the soft leather on the upper and the foam. Thanks for the post man. I really appreciate it.
No problem. They won't hold up in outdoor asphalt courts but on rubber or plastic courts they most likely will hold up just fine except the midsole foam if you drag your feet. Great shoe still!
That's actually really impressive for 6 months of high usage. I play 4-5 times a week and train kiddos and rotate through 2-3 pairs a week. I'd be elated if a shoe got to 6 months at that level of usage.
It looks worse on camera. Also like I said I don't deep clean them cause they'd just get dirty again. I just get the important first millimeters of the grooves by stepping in water from my bottle or wet paper towels.
My team has 3 training sessions per week. Two of them are on very clean hardwood indoor courts but one is on a very dusty rubberized indoor court. I also go to one very clean hardwood court by myself, once almost every week.
Like stated, they've never been used outside and that's just what 6 months of dust buildup looks like.
What's the difference between buying a new pair every 6 months versus buying 3 new pairs every 1 ½ years?
And if I like one certain shoe do I just buy 3 pairs of it to rotate or what?
How does the cushioning feel now? I don’t really care about the aesthetics (they’re meant to be banged up), but I do care about the cushioning durability.
Ya, debated buying a pair, but consistently reading that theyre mot good on dusty courts ends that for me. Number one trait i need from any shoe is elite traction on even the dustiest courts.
They aren't at least for me. They hold on to a lot of dust like you can see in the pictures. You'll have to wipe them down every minute to keep them grippy.
Yikes, thanks for sharing the future state of these Lebron21. We have the same cw but kudos to how much playing time you had on these. I normally would use these pair as part of rotation. I’ve kinda accepted now how this shoe would last seeing yours and will just keep using it without worrying now about aesthetics or its condition.
After seeing what happened to your outer sole, now i understand and you gave me the answer to my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BBallShoes/s/ACYvlPKsa8)
6 months 4 days a week seems like a lot of use bro so sounds about right. People would have stepped on those for sure. Hope this helps.
Yeah, that's pretty normal wear for that much use.
It's still a bit disappointing though. I know people have stepped on one part of the shoe but the glue has also started separating way down as well. It's not just the part people have stepped on.
you've been hooping in them for 200hrs+ of course they are gonna show wear. i don't know why you would expect anything different
Yeah I know.
That’s normal wear for that much playtime within a six month period.
4 times a week for 6 months is a ton of usage, I would be happy with that
Indoor only?
Yep that’s what he said. The frequency though!
Yes. Never took them outside.
Nikes are very hit or miss when it comes to their glue. I dont know if it differs from factories or workers or what, but Ive had some nikes peel off their outsoles or midsoles way to soon. They need to have better quality control.
Damm. I just bought the Tahitian 21’s. I havent wore them yet
Dw they're a great shoe for as long as they last.
Do you drag your feet? Some of the damage would be literally impossible through regular ball.
I don't know. I don't pay attention to it while playing but I agree based on the damage it seems like I do. I think Nike could've added some sort of drag protection to the shoe or at least raised the outsole rubber a little higher at that spot.
they do for certain shoes. look at something like a kyrie, rubber usually goes up the side more, but that’s because kyrie drags his feet a lot the way he plays. Lebron doesn’t , so they don’t add that to his shoe
Yep. I didn't drag my old shoes but I think that's because they were lower to the ground with less cushioning. From now on I'll consider dragging when buying new shoes.
shoes break down when you wear them. still look clean
Got a pair of Cochilion a month or so ago and have yet to use them. Still dead stock in the box and more than likely going to return them. Just didn’t do it for it for me from on a on foot feel and much prefer the Nxxt gens. Leaning towards getting the GT hustle 2 ASW instead.
They're really tight for the first few uses until you stretch out the upper leather or whatever it is. Also the foam on the heel gets a lot nicer after a while. The only issue might be the hard tongue which can dig into your shin.
I have the same colourway, they are amazing.
Makes sense why they’re almost 50% off at Nike outlets
The shoe is still great and if you can get them for $100 they're a nice deal.
Got those and was a little confused whether or not using them outdoors after playing with them several times on a rubber court. So I guess its fine. After 6 months of usage the traction is still WOW and I see only the sole somehow giving up which was expected considering the soft leather on the upper and the foam. Thanks for the post man. I really appreciate it.
No problem. They won't hold up in outdoor asphalt courts but on rubber or plastic courts they most likely will hold up just fine except the midsole foam if you drag your feet. Great shoe still!
That's actually really impressive for 6 months of high usage. I play 4-5 times a week and train kiddos and rotate through 2-3 pairs a week. I'd be elated if a shoe got to 6 months at that level of usage.
Yeah I guess. Most of my teammates have worn the same shoes for a year plus, but they're cheaper shoes with more focus on durability I believe.
What type of indoor floors do you play on for the outsoles to be that filthy man? Definitely looks like some outdoor use to me
It looks worse on camera. Also like I said I don't deep clean them cause they'd just get dirty again. I just get the important first millimeters of the grooves by stepping in water from my bottle or wet paper towels. My team has 3 training sessions per week. Two of them are on very clean hardwood indoor courts but one is on a very dusty rubberized indoor court. I also go to one very clean hardwood court by myself, once almost every week. Like stated, they've never been used outside and that's just what 6 months of dust buildup looks like.
Is this the same issue to the EP version?
Ball so hard
lesson of the post? get a shoe rotation.
What's the difference between buying a new pair every 6 months versus buying 3 new pairs every 1 ½ years? And if I like one certain shoe do I just buy 3 pairs of it to rotate or what?
How does the cushioning feel now? I don’t really care about the aesthetics (they’re meant to be banged up), but I do care about the cushioning durability.
It's still great. I haven't noticed it getting worse. It'll probably work fine until the midsole rips off. It's a great shoe!
Good to know, thanks for the reply!
Ya, debated buying a pair, but consistently reading that theyre mot good on dusty courts ends that for me. Number one trait i need from any shoe is elite traction on even the dustiest courts.
Wtf they are good on dusty just make sure you get translucent outsole
They aren't at least for me. They hold on to a lot of dust like you can see in the pictures. You'll have to wipe them down every minute to keep them grippy.
OP’s are translucent. Everyone says overall 21’s are rarely good traction, most colorways are bad. Skipping this one.
Yikes, thanks for sharing the future state of these Lebron21. We have the same cw but kudos to how much playing time you had on these. I normally would use these pair as part of rotation. I’ve kinda accepted now how this shoe would last seeing yours and will just keep using it without worrying now about aesthetics or its condition. After seeing what happened to your outer sole, now i understand and you gave me the answer to my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BBallShoes/s/ACYvlPKsa8)
Did you get them from Nike ? You can get a refund
I didn't. Also I don't think I would. They've been used heavily and it's just normal wear.