LeBron James unveils shoe designed by women, for women
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Three-time NBA champion, elementary school founder, and soon-to-be television show producer LeBron James has now set his sights on changing the footwear game.
James debuted the HFR x LeBron 16, the first shoe from a male athlete's line designed entirely by women, for women. The shoe is a collaboration with Harlem's Fashion Row, a platform for designers of color, and will be sold by Nike along with James' other products, SB Nation reports.
Three women from Harlem's Fashion Row designed the shoe — Undra Duncan, Fe Noel, and Kimberly Goldson — along with Nike designer Meline Khachatourian. The all-female team and project was inspired by James' own appreciation for the women in his life.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I was thinking about the African-American woman, and why I believe they’re the most powerful women in the world," James said Tuesday at the Harlem Fashion Row Showcase Gala. "I grew up around some amazingly strong women and am inspired by the strength I see around me, including my mom, wife, and daughter."
Nike representatives approached James last year after hearing him cite his mother, Gloria, as the strongest athlete and woman he knew, SB Nation writes. The company suggested he translate his feelings into a shoe for his line.
"We couldn't have dreamed this," Goldson said. "At what point can you say to yourself, 'I want to be the first African-American woman to design LeBron’s shoe?' You can't even put that into words." Read more about the new launch at SB Nation.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.
