The 20th signature shoe for anyone is an achievement in itself, but when the 20th silhouette performs like this on court... You have really got something special!
What is going on everyone? AirJayP here and today were going to talk about how those Lebron 20's performed for me on court. I will go ahead and tell you ahead of time these are really, really good!
Traction: 5
Perfect score from a traction setup and one that is well deserved. I really liked how the traction felt while moving on foot and performed on court. I had zero issues laterally or vertically with these and all positives all the way around from me. I did notice while moving laterally or side to side/quick cuts, sudden movements, etc. these gave an extra "grippy" feel in my opinion. I have not noticed this type of grip/grab from a traction standpoint laterally in a while that I can remember. I do not have the exact answer to why these felt so well laterally for me, but as good as they felt/worked you won't be concerned with why, you will want to just keep playing in them! The lone issue I had was the first time out in these the court was super dusty. There were a few issues that night, but I have played at the same gym since and had no issues. This could have just been some break in time, etc. Ever since the first time out I have had no issues on a clean, or dusty court and these have become my go-to especially from a traction standpoint.
Fit: 4
When I purchased these I actually had to go down half a size as it was all they had left. Normally I'm perfectly fine with this as I like my basketball shoes snug in the first place. The right shoe for whatever reason when I get locked in and the sneakers tightened to my liking wants to feel very tight in the forefoot area. It is basically that feeling of over-tightening your shoes, but It is no more tight than the left pair. This can happen on occasion with sizing etc, but my point here is I would recommend going true to size and not half a size down as they do fit pretty snug. If you have a wide foot, I would recommend trying them on first as you may even want/need to go up half a size. The shoe forms and fits your foot very well which is great! Just make sure you have proper sizing to get all the benefits from this pair.
Materials: 5
One aspect I was worried about from images was would the materials be very stiff? They definitely were not. Basically the materials on the upper are like a woven, stretchy, mesh, like material. The materials were breathable in my opinion, but might could have been more breathable. In other words I do feel like the shoe holds a little sweat. From an aesthetics standpoint the materials look really nice and the woven material is almost more of a premium feel or look in my opinion. With this, meaning there are going to be some really good color-ways! Moving back to the performance side of things though I had really zero issues from the materials and really liked how they felt on foot. The tongue is nicely padded, but not super thick which I liked with this model where it is such a low profile sneaker. I see durability being great with these materials as well. I would not recommend maybe playing outside in a muddy type setting or someone stepping on them as the materials would be tough to clean/get stains out of, but from a straight durability standpoint you are going to be good to go with these.
Cushion: 5
The cushion on the 20's feels great on foot and on court as well. From the tech specs initially speaking the cushion would be a little too much for my liking, but that is why I love testing basketball sneakers for myself because that's not the real feel on foot. The Lebron 20 features a top loaded air zoom turbo unit in the forefoot and a fairly large zoom air unit in the heel. This setup feels fairly plush and obviously great for someone looking for a lot of cushion, but at the same time as someone who does not always prefer a ton of cushion these offer a great amount of court feel that I really liked. They do not feel overly cushioned in my opinion or how most Lebron sneakers have felt for me in the past. The shoe also features a very nice, plush, but still firm foam midsole that feels very nice on foot as well. Speaking from past reviews or experiences, if you have ever liked any review I have done on a sneaker that I will say has the maximum amount of cushion I would like or need than these would be in that category. These are right there at the top, but also at that point that it is one I really, really like from a cushion/impact protection standpoint. I do not think these are going to disappoint you whatsoever from a cushion standpoint.
Lockdown: 5
Let me start off here by saying when I got these In I obviously knew they were low tops, but after opening them I was a little concerned they may be a little to low for my liking. I felt the same way with the KD 15 and ended up loving those. I would say these are in the same range for the ankle height and these in my opinion feel a little lower on foot. With that being said these were going to have to have a great lockdown system for me to even think about liking them. Well, you guessed it, the lockdown was great! Another one of my past review thoughts here.. Do you remember when I have said in the past that sometimes you will get a shoe where you can feel the fit, traction, and lockdown all seem to be 1 or working together for the greater good? If there was ever any example of this it would be here in the Lebron 20. First and foremost and as I said earlier getting the correct fit is key to getting all the features out of this shoe. After you get that taken care of, after getting the shoe on you will have more of my favorite with a traditional style lacing system where you can get those laces tight and your foot locked in. You will feel nice and locked into the heel with no movement, and great containment throughout the mid-foot and forefoot area as well. The sneaker does feature a carbon fiber plate in the mid-foot which will help with your balance and feeling steady/sturdy while in the shoe. There is also a nice outrigger to help with tipping and leaning which is always key for me in a super low top sneaker, or a super high top sneaker. I was not expecting to say this for this section in the review when I initially got these, but the lockdown on these Lebron 20's is very, very good and a setup/shoe that I really like on court!
Weight: 5
Normally we know Lebron models to be on the heavier or bulkier side when talking about weight to the shoe. This is the total opposite from the 20s. In the past there have even been Lebron models I went to the store to purchase when they released, but after trying them on I walked out without them as they were just to bulky for my liking. The 20's give a lot lighter feel, and I would imagine is the lightest Lebron model to date. The only other that would probably come close or be in a contest with would be the 16s. If you have passed on some Lebron models in the past due to weight or a clunky type feel do not shy away from these as they are the exact opposite of that.
Overall: 5
This is the second basketball sneaker I have given a perfect score to this year and in my opinion they have both deserved it. The first being the KD 15 and obviously now the Lebron 20. The 20's I have had a ton of fun playing in and reviewing overall. This is one of those shoes you will keep in your gym bag or will be a go-to when there are some really good runs. I mentioned this before and once again it is a shoe that I feel each category works together to make the shoe work so well on court. There really is not anything to complain about with these overall and only great results with these on court. These are by far my favorite Lebron sneaker I have ever played in. I did like the 15s, and 16s a lot, but these took the crown from those without question. The Lebron 20's are a pair that I will continue to play in and hopefully pick up some more color-ways down the line the rest of this year as well. Very fun shoe to play in and one your going to want to check out!!
Thank you for checking out this review on the Lebron 20!
Have A Great Week & As Always Happy Hooping!
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