The Legacy of LeBron's Soldier Line
The Soldier line holds arguably some of the most iconic signature basketball shoes ever created, and The King himself donned them during his domination of the hardwood.
According to the Soldier line's designer Jason Petrie, it all started with 'lightweight lockdown' as the clear focus. 'The Soldier was always about serving LeBron, and giving him another thing in his quiver he needed that wasn’t in his game shoe,' says Petrie.
'All of it was built around giving LeBron lockdown, so we created a shoe completely based around it, giving him this totally protected, contained force for his feet. Playoff mode, team shoe, FlyEase, straps, laces – there’ve been different takes throughout the years, but it’s always been another tool LeBron could pull out at any time. With the Soldier, many of those performances helped define his legacy.'
LeBron Zoom 20-5-5 (2005)
It all started in 2005 with the release of the LeBron Zoom 20-5-5. Birthed from the Nike Basketball Battleground series, it's built for playing outdoor ball in a rugged environment. With a full-length Zoom Air unit, top-shelf cushioning, and impressive ventilation, this Soldier antecedent was immediately notable for its standout hardiness.
LeBron Zoom Soldier (2007)
Come 2007, it was all about the straps. The Nike LeBron Zoom Soldier was thoroughly riddled with Zoom Air cushioning, allowing for ultra-responsive movement on-court. That year, LeBron led Cleveland to its first NBA Finals appearance. Says Petrie: 'The Soldier line wouldn't be what it is without that performance. So many people forever connect that memory with the silhouette.'
LeBron Soldier II (2008)
The Nike LeBron Soldier II was crafted to be worn by LeBron in Beijing during the summer of 2008. The design is slightly different to the rest of the LeBron soldier line, with no strap and a reinforced lateral – but it looks just as clean as its brothers. This one initially dropped in two colourways: 'White/Black/Gold/Red', and 'White/Navy/Red'.
LeBron Soldier III (2008)
The straps are back! The Nike LeBron Soldier III featured a double-strap along the upper, and also sported that serrated, shark-tooth midsole. LeBron wore this model during one of the most unforgettable buzzer-beaters he ever achieved, at the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.
LeBron Soldier IV (2010)
The Nike LeBron Soldier IV hit stores back in 2010, and featured the first-ever lion's head detail plastered along the tongue! It also saw the expansion of colourways, dropping in 'White/Sport Red/Black', 'White/Deep Maroon/Metallic Gold', and also Team Editions – designer to appeal to all players.
LeBron Soldier V (2011)
Taking a few hints from LeBron's performance line, the Soldier V borrowed design cues from the LEBRON IX. It also included a neat Air unit beneath the heel.
LeBron Soldier VI (2012)
Once again, packed with Nike Zoom Air, the LeBron Soldier VI championed a lightweight construction, and came with an asymmetrical ankle strap over the Hyperfuse upper.
LeBron Soldier VII (2012)
The Nike LeBron Soldier VII, according to Petrie, was created so LeBron 'was able to go out during that championship run and wear the shoe unexpectedly'.
Its plethora of colourways include the and the super-rich .
LeBron Soldier VIII (2014)
Nike created the in 2014, decking out the crep in Flywire tech. The FlyEase edition featured no laces and opted for an easy-on, easy-off system – and just check out this eye-popping colourway.
LeBron Soldier IX (2015)
The came prepared with a new innovative strap system and Flywire forefoot construction. The model had a penchant for military-themed palettes – expressing its inner Rambo with colourways like the popular .
LeBron Soldier X (2016)
For the LeBron Soldier X, Petrie and LeBron wanted the anniversary model to stand-out with visual significance. They also wanted to take inspiration from the 20-5-5. With all that in mind, they created this very high-cut silhouette, that was actually Team Swoosh's first laceless performance shoe.
In the year of its release, the Soldier X dropped in a whole slew of interesting colourways including a tasty , the white and gold-flecked , the moody , the surreptitious , the white and neon , and the classic, black-red-white edition. The following year saw the mean-lookin' , which presented the area codes for both Akron and Cleveland printed on the heels.
LeBron Soldier XI (2017)
Taking design cues from the X, the Nike LeBron Soldier XI quadruppled the straps and also made them lighter, allowing for more foot movement.
A few different colourways of the Soldier XI appeared on the hardwood, including the coveted black .
LeBron Soldier XII (2018)
Stealing the X-strap from the Nike Air Raid, the design team for the wanted to experiment with locking down different foot shapes.
Its year-of-release colourways ran the gamut, from the meme-inspired to , , and the ever-popular .
LeBron Soldier XIV (2020)
Reducing the layers, bringing the foot closer to the Zoom Air Unit, and replacing the straps with a toggle lacing system, the Nike LeBron Soldier XIV is a lightweight sneaker that gives an ultra-smooth ride.
The 14th in LeBron's signature line was no stranger to loud palettes, such as the mismatched colourway.