The king of flashiness and luxury is here again. As much as certain people don’t like LeBron’s main line of shoes very much, we have to acknowledge just how much fun they can be to play in, and how much detail is taken into account with each release. Let’s analyze it all in my detailed 6-month LeBron 19 review.
After hooping indoors in a couple of gyms and also outdoors over a lengthy period of time, I’ll break down the shoe’s fit & comfort aspects, on-court performance, build quality & reliability, versatility and decide if it’s worth choosing over The King’s previous models.
SPEC SHEET
2-MIN REVIEW 🕒
In a hurry? Here’s the need-to-know version
The Nike LeBron 19 is the definition of a true LeBron shoe. It’s a sneaker that resembles The King’s playstyle and might not be something everyone will find optimal.
I didn’t have issues with my wide foot in my size 10. Most guys should go TTS (fits snug), but certain people can opt for a 1/2 size up for a looser fit. Traction was decent, though nothing spectacular, and gripped outdoors the best.
Cushioning was insane once again: strong shock absorption in the back, explosive spring back in the front. Rides high off the ground, so not for everyone. They’re a ton of fun to play in though. Support improved from last year’s model and foot containment is now solid. The upper is actually excellent performance-wise and needed close-to-no break-in time.
Frontcourt players or heavier/more explosive guys should find these the most fitting.
I. FIT & COMFORT
Should you stick with your true size or not? How do they fit and how comfortable are they?
SIZING GUIDE
Starting with the must-know, the LeBron 19 brought no surprises for me in the sizing/fit side of things. True to size would be my #1 recommendation for most people.
Whether you’re a narrow footer, a slight wide footer or you think you’ve got fairly average feet, things should be fine for you, mainly thanks to the fantastic forming properties of this upper.
The widest & thickest of feet will likely want to try the shoe in stores if possible or go up half a size since there are a few pressure points that might cause some issues for you.
I’m wide-footed myself and even though I don’t have the bulkiest feet in the world, I surely wouldn’t call it slight. Upon checking a few reviews, I shot for my regular 10 US (44 EU/9.5 UK).
Things felt pretty tight and uncertain upon the first wear but 4-5 short sessions were all I needed to start playing seamlessly. Now mind you, it’s still not perfect.
The midfoot portion (where the TPU wings reside) is the most narrow region of the shoe and those wings did get in the way occasionally, mainly during quick lateral movements.
Nothing crazy, just a mere annoyance that got better with each wear, and while it never fully went away, the slight collisions only happen periodically, and they never really cause a headache while hooping.
The toebox could be considered fairly compact as well but, again, this upper is simply awesome. Everything conformed to my foot’s shape in a matter of days (and even hours for other areas).
Length-wise, my toes are right on the edge with about half a centimeter (~0.2 inches) of space left. Some people prefer exactly that way, while others (like myself) would’ve liked just a tad bit more wiggle room but once again, nothing deal-breaking.
If you prefer a roomier fit with some extra room at the front, going up half a size is an option.
Apart from that, the rest of the boxes are all ticked. No shifting inside the shoe, no heel slippage, no containment issues, none of that nasty stuff.
COMFORT
The comfort aspect is where things get a little weird. While the LeBron 19 is a comfortable shoe overall, there are certain design choices that I personally believe weren’t needed and just got in the way.
Remember the tongue of death on last year’s LeBron 18? Well, that’s fixed this year – the tongue is much more well-padded and sculpted in a way that doesn’t dig into your shins.
However, as they say, one step forward, one step back, huh?
I mean, just look at that insane ankle collar. If the look alone doesn’t concern you – I don’t know what will. The top pieces of the collar have sharp edges (literally), so if you thought the LeBron 18’s tongue can do some damage, this collar is just as bad.
Get a thick pair of quality socks that are taller than this ankle cut or you’ll be coming home with bleeding feet if you play for more than an hour.
During this summer, I mainly play outside and it can get up to 93°F (34°C) at times, so there’s no way I’m double-socking this season. No thanks.
If you are able to, by all means, do it – it’ll help you mitigate the digging with the LeBron 19.
Nikey also bumped up the air cushion pod count all over the ankle and tongue for “added comfort”. In reality, those thick pods got in the way more than anything as they were applying extra pressure to the foot.
But as with most things with the shoe, it all broke in eventually. Still though, I’d ideally prefer if those things weren’t hugging my ankle.
It’s not all bad though – the shoe is in fact comfortable once I got used to all the bulk and stuff all over the build.
The upper wraps around the foot very nicely, step transitions are buttery smooth, there’s plenty of internal padding all around the foot, and the shoe doesn’t feel as heavy as it sounds on paper.
A whopping 20 ounces sounds insane in theory and while the shoe surely doesn’t make it to the minimal-feeling club, the overall experience wasn’t THAT clunky. But I’d be lying if I said this package is 100% for me.
II. TRACTION
How’s the grip on a multitude of surfaces? What about dust sensitivity & durability for outdoors?
OVERVIEW & PERFORMANCE
The 19th LeBron sneaker chose style over function with the outsoles, unfortunately.
Those knubs all over the outsoles are little crown logos of The King, and while it looks cool – I can’t help but believe that this design choice resulted in subpar traction performance for most people, including myself.
Indoors, I tried two surfaces: a rubberized court that’s the least abrasive option I had and a medium-condition hardwood floor. I only played on hardwood twice, while most of the indoor action was done on a high school rubberized gym floor.
In a nutshell, I wouldn’t say the traction of the LeBron 19 is unplayable. Linearly, I was covered just fine, as stops and take-offs were biting the floor adequately.
Laterally is where the grip fell off and a slight delay was guaranteed just about every time I changed directions. Emphasis on slight.
The difference in grip between linear and lateral movements wasn’t as dramatic as I anticipated (as most reviews I saw made it seem so) but I could still feel a drop in performance most of the time laterally.
I eventually got used to these outsoles and could play or shoot around with minimal hassle but I’d be lying if I said this setup is ideal.
Outdoors is where things greatly improved, obviously. The more abrasive the surface, the more friction is produced, thus the rubber gets in contact with the ground more effectively.
The outsoles were already broken in and warmed up due to all the hours put inside, so it was a decent head start. I played on a tennis-type rubberized court which is where I experienced the best traction out of all surfaces hands-down.
On standard asphalt, things were similar and while not as good as on the other outdoor option, it was clearly more effective than any indoor floor I had the chance to try.
The difference between lateral and linear movements was mitigated but I’d still slide out occasionally, especially on areas where the court is slicker and wearier. Not ideal, but definitely playable.
One thing that was undoubtedly great about this traction pattern is how it handled dust and debris. I barely wiped the outsoles down and the times I did were mostly out of habit. Definitely a plus for someone who isn’t a big wiper.
Overall, a weird experience but not a completely horrible one.
These will take some getting used to and I’m not saying you should in the first place but if you’re an outdoor hooper or an occasional gym-goer, you’ll be decently covered.
DURABILITY
If you’re an outdoor player, GET THE EP VERSION. No question. A couple of months of action outside noticeably burned off a good portion of these knubs as they’re so pliable it’s strange.
I don’t think I’m sliding out more than I did with the shoe in perfect condition but my base level of bite fell off a bit. To be expected, of course, but surprisingly, I don’t think it got much worse than that all the way to month 6.
I clean my outsoles thoroughly pretty much after every outdoor session, so that helps.
However, it’s only a matter of time before the pattern gets destroyed to its entirety and that is when a dramatic drop in traction is bound to happen.
My wallet hurts but I love playing in a classic pickup fashion in the park, so I couldn’t help it.
If you’re someone who values their purchase more – DON’T get these for outdoor hoops or at least get yourself the EP version with XDR rubber.
There won’t be a huge upgrade in durability as XDR rubber tends to be slightly overrated but it’s an improvement nonetheless.
III. CUSHION
How’s the impact protection & energy return of the cushion? What about ride height, step comfort, and stability?
Following the same direction as the previous few releases, the LeBron 19 features a ridiculous cushioning system that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but will surely get the FUN juices flowing for just about anyone.
A huge 360° Max Air unit resides in the heel to handle most of the impact protection, while the front boasts an even larger Zoom Air unit that goes all the way to the midfoot.
Both of these units are connected via special tubes internally, so pressurized air is passed over from the heel to the forefoot each time you plant your foot. The end result is greater movement propulsion.
But wait, that’s not all. A Cushlon midsole sits on top of this outrageous setup to accompany the ride. Yeah, it’s a lot.
Now, you might be thinking the whole tube idea is a complete gimmick. It’s actually not.
I could feel each step being propelled forward and thanks to the springy Zoom Air in the front, each stride or jump felt really damn explosive. It’s a TON of fun to move around in these.
The heel Max Air is less energetic and is there to absorb impact, so things are softer and mushier over there.
I’m not a big fan of such setups but I’m not a 200-pound beast waiting to back someone down under the rim or looking to catch an alley-oop over someone in transition.
This setup is undoubtedly best for someone who’s heavier and/or very explosive in order to take full advantage of these cushion properties. The lighter/less explosive you are the less this setup will make sense for you.
Heel-to-toe transitions will feel smooth as butter for anyone though, so overall ride comfort is at an all-time high with these.
The stability side of things also greatly improved. Even though I still ride high off the ground (and I don’t personally like that), lateral and medial stability isn’t compromised as a result.
Unlike it was with the LeBron 18 or the LeBron 17 where I’d tip over the high profile at times.
The Max Air cushion pods protrude out of the midsole in the midfoot & forefoot areas acting as outriggers, and those came a long way to stabilize this insane setup.
You gotta appreciate how much tech and resources went into making this kind of shoe but I can’t help but recommend something like this only to a select few players if we’re talking about optimal performance on the court.
Unless you don’t care much and only play occasionally & casually AND you can afford to lash out 200 bucks – by all means, enjoy. There’s quite a bit to enjoy here after all.
IV. SUPPORT
How’s all-around security such as foot support, containment, and lateral stability?
Security was a non-issue with the LeBron 19. Gotta give credit where it’s due – plenty of changes were made to ensure it’s not another LeBron 18 situation.
The shoe sports strong TPU heel counters for ankle & heel lockdown, stiff midfoot shank plates for torsional rigidity, protruding cushion pods for lateral stability, as well as TPU wings that the laces feed through for better foot containment.
The shoe also has internal Flywire cables that run through the midfoot and also go through the shoe’s inner sleeve which further locks down the foot upon lace pressure.
The high ankle collar isn’t just an annoyance either – it actually does a pretty good job sinching the ankle once enough lace pressure is applied. Something we very rarely see these days.
The platform of the shoe isn’t particularly wide or flat but a proper fit & the above-mentioned support features do the heavy lifting here and I had no issues.
Does the shoe feel bulky and a lot at times? Sure. Those lateral wings can get a bit annoying, especially for a wide footer. It’s also probably the most stuffed LeBron to date but it’s also one of the most supportive.
For ankle brace wearers – probably not the best idea to get these if you’re always strapping up a brace before a session. The ankle collar is cut very high and there’s very minimal room once you tighten things up over there.
I don’t think there will be enough of it for a brace that’s rated as level 2 protection and above.
I might be wrong though, so for anyone that’s wearing a beefier brace in the LeBron 19 with success – let me know in the comments below!
V. THE BUILD
What are the upper materials and how do they feel & perform on the court? What about reliability?
OVERVIEW & PERFORMANCE
The 19th sneaker from The King utilizes a thin, conforming woven fabric upper that’s coated in a stronger synthetic material, likely rubber or TPU.
The entire build consists of this combination, plus the TPU wings and a bunch of other TPU panels, as well as the foam midsole barriers coming up to the upper.
The tongue is a nicely padded mesh material, while those translucent pods you see on the tongue & collar are actual air units but they don’t do much in terms of function.
Performance-wise, I actually think the upper is the best part about the LeBron 19. The shoe is heavy overall, but the upper itself doesn’t feel like it.
It’s thin, flexible, requires pretty much no break-in time (definitely the case for a narrow/regular footer), and moves very well with my feet without overly restricting things.
I wouldn’t call it a premium or luxurious upper judging by the looks or by touch but as long as it doesn’t get in my way when I hoop, that’s all I need.
I probably prefer last year’s Battleknit 2.0 as I love me some knit but this one comes really close.
You might think there needs to be something more for $200 but that will come down to what you value more. I think most of the budget here went to the cushion tech.
The only gripe about this build is ventilation. This textile is coated with a synthetic compound, so don’t expect any real airflow. If you’ll be hooping outside under the sun – you’ll feel it.
I also heard that the Low version of the shoe has a slight lace issue, as the laces don’t stay tight for long. Not the case with this model – all was okay from the moment I laced ’em up.
RELIABILITY
It’s no surprise this build has been handling everything I’ve been throwing at it for 6 months and counting.
LeBron’s main line of kicks has been featuring fabric-based builds such as knits for a while now, and they really know how to make such a setup reliable, not only performance-friendly.
This type of woven by itself probably would’ve already been banged up but not the case with this one.
The toebox is a little uneven in a few areas due to all the flexing and the air pods on the ankle & tongue are a bit fogged up now. But that’s pretty much it.
The only unfortunate part is the weak outsoles. Had those been better made, this could’ve been a very viable outdoor model.
In terms of the build, you can expect these to last multiple seasons, even outdoors (minus the outsoles).
VI. OVERALL
Closing out the LeBron 19 review with some final words & a quick recap
The most extensive basketball signature sneaker lineup actively worn by a player has reached 19 shoes! It’s not a secret that LeBron James’s style of footwear won’t appeal to everyone but the guy has surely had plenty of awesome releases that aren’t exactly like anything else.
After playing in the Jordans 2022 for a bit, it didn’t take long for me to realize this one is the modern definition of a true LeBron shoe. This one’s for him, and not necessarily for a lot of other people.
However, for those that believe this type of sneaker would fit them, or perhaps those who’d just like to try out such an interesting package, the 19th flagship iteration from LeBron surely has a ton of FUN to offer on-court.
If you can afford the steep price point.
I think they’re slightly better-tuned in certain areas compared to a LeBron 18 or a 17, mainly in the containment & stability aspects.
But making the shoe beefier, heavier, and more packed with stuff every year will inevitably mean there will be some downsides for some players.
QUICK RECAP
I didn’t have issues with my wide foot in my size 10. Most guys should go TTS (fits snug), but certain people can opt for a 1/2 size up for a looser fit.
Traction was decent, though nothing spectacular, and gripped outdoors the best.
Cushioning was insane once again: strong shock absorption in the back, explosive spring back in the front. Rides high off the ground, so not for everyone. They’re a ton of fun to play in though.
Support improved from last year’s model and foot containment is now solid. The upper is actually excellent performance-wise and needed close-to-no break-in time.
Frontcourt players or heavier/more explosive guys should find these the most fitting.
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