Let’s waste no time and begin our topic today. The protagonist of this review is the LeBron17 that is suitable for heavy players, weighing between 75kg and 120kg, including me, and heavy defenders and forwards. In answer to the question “Is it for daily walking or actual plays?”, I should say that the shoe is more than suitable for both, though it is not without disadvantages. Hence my presenting this comprehensive LeBron17 review to you.
The shoe is positioned as the top flagship signature model. When it was available, I was electrified at seeing the information of its setups and you should be too! And shortly after that, I tried my best to cop a pair as soon as possible. So after 4 months hooping and shooting both indoors and outdoors, what kind of impression did its performances leave on me? Well, my friend, if there’s a word for it, that is top-ranking! I’ll then talk about its performances from the fullest possible perspectives.
1 Vamp & Comfort
LeBron17 does not use the battleknit adopted by the previous two generations but the brand new knit composite. So what’s the difference between them? The biggest ascendancy of the latter lies in that the toe bump, which is quite a nerve-wracking issue in LeBron16, is no longer a hassle for wearers. Besides that, the Knit Composite upper is more malleable and wear much more comfortable while the Battleknit is far tougher ,which even causes blisters for some consumers.
Nevertheless, the result of this increase in comfort is a decrease in support, though I am not seriously affected by this. Also, because of the forefoot design, the vamp is not covered by the Phylon, leading to the possible separation of the vamp and the sole when you make such movements as sudden stop, which is similar to, but not as severe as, Alphadunk. In fact, if you happened to have experienced the Alphadunk before, you must know exactly what I’m talking about. Therefore, the vamp support of LeBron17 is a little insufficient.
Compared with its predecessor, the vamp comfort of LeBron17 has been improved, but this improvement is in exchange for the vamp support. So whether it is good or not, I’ll just leave it for you to decide.
2 Wrapping
While the vamp wrapping is not so good, the heel wrapping, on the contrary, is terrific and impressive. Well, I meant it and maybe only after you’ve played in it will you find that it’s no exaggeration. After all, words sometimes cannot be as impressive as personal experience.
Despite that, the heel wrapping, from my perspective, is a bit hard, quite firm and secure. At the same time, there is a built-in counter and a TPU on the outside, offering heel support and protection. So it’s safe to say that the heel wrapping is really excellent.
Albeit the prominence of the heel wrapping, there is still a minor problem, which, however, may not be so for you. So personally speaking, I found it very hard to get the shoelaces tightened and I even haven’t found out the root of problem. But don’t be vexed, buddy! You are still getting maximum comfort and mostly solid wrapping because the problem causes no harm for the wrapping performance.
3 Midsole
This midsole this time is pretty satisfying to me for one simple reason–I can make the most of it! To tell the truth, although I am a fan of James for 13 years, my first pair of LeBron shoes was the LeBron13 Elite, and then the LeBron14, 15 and 16, all of which, however, were so hard for me that I couldn’t feel their cushions.
LeBron17, nevertheless, is a different story. The separated Zoom Air in the forefoot and the rear part can be obviously felt as soon as you step on it. Besides, it also offers a great deal of feedback during startup, which, personally, is of great help for me. For those weighing around 75kg, the cushions of LeBron series can be put to good use, but it should be made particular of that this LeBron17 is not suitable for guards of small weight because of its high center of gravity.
As for the Max 270 Air cushion in the rear, it deforms obviously when it is pressed hard by hand. In addition, the cushioning it offers me is similar to that of Air Force Max. Therefore, in a word, my impression of the midsole is that the forefoot cushion is quite bouncy while the rear one is rather stable and can therefore provides me with enough protection.
In spite of that, it is not without shortcoming–the exposed rear cushion risk exploding either by being hard trampled or accidentally punctured. So whether the excellent cushion outweighs te disadvantage, I’ll leave it up to you to use your discretion.
4 Outsole
Can it bite various floors aggressively? Is it sensitive to the dust or dirt on courts? And what about its durability?
In fact, according to some of my friends who happened to have LeBron17, I’ve heard no complaints with regard to its traction from them. Although I dare not say that the outsole can bite aggressively on all kinds of surfaces, it does so on the courts where I usually play, including the indoor wooden ones and the outdoor concrete and asphalt ones. Well, let me put it more frankly by saying that the traction of this one is deadly. Yes, you read that right!
I have to own that I don’t get any intimate knowledge of the outsole materials, but the traction is all-directional and the stops are instant with it. The outsole just bites the floors like a lion with its prey!
But with that follows the problem of dirt-sensitivity. On the indoor courts with dust, the outsole will become a bit “tamer” because it appeals to dust somewhat easily, which is likely to bring on slipping. And to retain the outsole’s aggressiveness, it is essential to get it cleaned now and then.
As for the durability, actually I didn’t know how long it would last. Initially I was surprised by the shoe’s other performances, say, the midsole cushion, but after 4-months’ play, I am all the more amazed by the outsole durability. It seems that the durability is just not what it should be for this price, which certainly defeats that of other models of the same price. So what about my LeBron17? Well, it is so far holding up very well!
5 Anti-rollover & Anti-torsion
The rollover resistance of these shoes is also relatively good. Although the center of gravity of them is still high, it is much lowered compared to that of the LeBron16. However, I think that should the outsole be extended outward to a greater extent, the shoe’s overall stability and security will be further improved.
When it comes to the anti-torsion, it is also good, if not excellent. But for actual plays, from my point of view, it is more than enough and can stand the test of time.
Now, aside from its performances, I’m gonna present to you a brief comparison between the LeBron17 and the AJ34.
On the face of it, the texture of LeBron17 is relatively poor, and the overall appearance is not as inviting as AJ34. So in this point, it is simply a matter of personal preference. When it comes to their performances, LeBron17 is more suitable for heavy players whereas AJ34 fit better the agile forwards as well as guards. The AJ34 is actually a new and innovative product, while the LeBron17 is more like an improved and upgraded one, which is designed to be more suitable for more people.
Overall：
So is this LeBron17 worth it over the previous generations? And who is it suitable for? Well, I think at this point, the answers must be crystal clear.
In general, the performance of LeBron17 belongs to one of the top-ranking models. Although it is not as nice-looking as other shoes, it can still be saved by the various colorways. On top of that, compared with LeBron16, LeBron17 wears more comfortable either for daily walking or high-intensity plays.
I think this one is a near-perfect model for heavier and bigger players as well as agile forwards and guards, as is mentioned earlier. It has taken comfort, cushion and traction to another level, though there is still room for improvement. But after all, nothing in the world is perfect, and LeBron17 can already be said to be quite excellent. Anyway, however good others say of it, you don’t know whether it is your right one until you experience it. So I’ll stop here and leave it for you to decide whether it’s your thing.
