LeBron James Ditches His Nike Gym Shoes for New Brand

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has changed teams a few times throughout his NBA career, but he has always remained loyal to Nike.

James first signed with Nike before his rookie season, and eventually agreed to a lifetime sneaker deal worth $1 billion in 2015. James' signature footwear line includes shoes for basketball, football, and even weight-lifting.

Last year, before the 2024 Summer Olympics, James debuted his first signature training shoe - the Nike LeBron TR 1. However, James ditched the Nike LeBron TR 1 during a recent weight-lifting session that has gone viral on social media.

While most fans were in awe of James' training regimen, sneakerheads were focused on his footwear. The NBA's all-time leading scorer can be seen working out in minimalist gym shoes to get the most out of his workout.

However, it does not look like James is representing Nike in the video, as there are no Swoosh logos on the gym shoes. Some fans have speculated that James is wearing Vibram FiveFingers shoes, and they might be right as the kicks look a lot like the popular gym shoes.

This is not the first time James has shared pictures and videos of himself in the minimalist training shoes. Two weeks ago, James debuted the unreleased Nike LeBron 23 in a wear-test colorway on Instagram. It overshadowed the other pictures showing James in the barefoot shoes.

Either way, Nike would probably prefer James share videos of himself working out in his signature gym shoes like he did last September before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Nike LeBron TR 1 is marketed as a trainer, which means it is built for lifting weights and running — a one-size-fits-all option for athletes working out in the gym. But when you are one of the best basketball players of all time, you need specific footwear built for a king.

The NBA season is right around the corner, so fans can expect more footwear news from James and Nike. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NBA and beyond.

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