LeBron James unveils shoe designed by women, for women


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.
Subscribe to The 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.
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores