The Lebron 20s were a fan favorite on court from last season, and even the favorite shoe of all time for some. Will the Lebron 21s live up to its past model?? We shall dive in and find out!
Traction: 5
The Lebron 21 offered a very nice traction setup and one that I thoroughly enjoyed on court. The outsole is a solid rubber with a pretty hard/solid compound with wide grooves throughout the pattern. I did not play in these outdoors, but I do believe you would be as good outdoors in these as indoors. I had no issues at any point from a traction standpoint with these. You are covered laterally and vertically and the grip/bite is there at all times no matter if you are cutting or trying to stop on a dime. The last few Lebron models I feel have had very good traction setups all around and these are no different. If anything they are as good and possibly even better.
Fit: 4
I ended up going down half a size on these and in some ways, I wish I had gone true to size. I prefer a more snug fit always in my hoop shoes, but with these, I felt going down half gave me a little bit of a narrow feel in the toe box. I remember this being the same in the 20s and I toughed it out. I would recommend going true to size on these or possibly whatever size you went with and/or enjoyed with the Lebron 20. We will go over this a bit more in the materials category, but the materials on the upper are much different here with the 21s. They do break in and feel molded to your foot, but it doesn't have quite the give that the materials did in the 20s.
Cushion: 5
The Lebron 21 features a zoom air unit in the heel and in the forefoot. This offers a pretty springy feel on court and does give quite the impact protection when jumping etc. I also felt a nice mix of cushion and responsiveness within the shoe. If you have played in Lebron models in the past you know they are normally known for having a lot of cushion compared to pretty much any other shoe. These do give you that, but I honestly felt like there was a tad more court feel than normal with these. I felt this started changing with the 20s. This is no comparison review, but I feel they both have that very low-to-the-ground feel with lots of cushion, but at the same time giving you just enough to still have the court feel you need. With the 21s, it isn't so much it is this new, crazy cushion setup, but it is one that feels very good on the court and one that worked well for me. Job well done!
Materials: 4
The materials are a little tricky on the 21s. I am going to try to give you my take on how I understand the materials. Basically, you have a base layer of lightweight mesh that has a coating over the top to give the look you get with the sneaker which offers a shiny or aesthetically pleasing detail, instead of a mesh or knit-type look. How do the materials feel and perform? Personally, in some ways, I liked the feel of the 20s better, but then again it does have more of a new or updated feel on the 21s. I know once again this is not a comparison review, but hear me out. On the 20s It feels pretty soft and has a nice break in or it did for me anyway. With the 21s it is more of the same, but once the break-in is completed I do not feel as if the materials are as soft or feel as good specifically in the forefoot or toe area. I must say though the tongue is very padded and has a quilted look to it. The sock liner is also very nice and these two areas make the sneaker feel very premium on foot. Overall these are very solid from a material standpoint. I think it will be a preference thing for most, but if you just absolutely loved the materials on the 20's expect a little different feel in this category on the 21s.
Lockdown: 5
I went with the lockdown right after the materials here because they used areas of the materials to help with the lockdown on the shoe. Within the base layer of mesh, they used a 360-degree zonal cabling system to help lock you into the shoe from all areas and directions. This was actually something that when lacing the sneaker up tightly I did feel, and almost feel as if the shoe wrapped or molded straight to my foot. You have a fairly nice outrigger to the shoe that helps with tipping and feeling more balanced while on court. This is something that is very important for me especially on these super low models as it almost gives you a wide base to not roll your ankle over. Another small detail that goes a long way is that when you are done playing and unlace your pair, when you pull on the tongue it's like the internal cable system releases and you know/feel that it is working. I had no issues or complaints at all out of the lockdown hence the perfect score above. I really liked the setup and how these felt on court. I felt safe, locked in, and like I was able to or loved playing in low tops. That is something I have not always been able to say.
Overall: 4
I really enjoyed playing in the Lebron 21, and it is a sneaker that I would pretty much recommend to anyone who is looking for a solid hoop shoe. Other than a few small details I have mentioned above, you are pretty much set and good to go in all categories. This is one of those sneakers that is set up for you to wear and play in a ton. I expect these to be very durable and a shoe that you could wear for an entire season at any level, or league play, occasional pickup, whatever it may be these will last. The strongest points to the shoe for me were really a close tie between the traction, cushion, and lockdown. What I want or am looking for to always be the strongest is the traction. Coming from me, as I am usually a tough critic on traction these are good! The cushion felt great and gave me everything I could ask for, and last but not least the lockdown exceeded all expectations for me in this low top of a sneaker. It is so tough rating and reviewing basketball sneakers right now because there are just so many good models out there. This is another one of those pairs that you can't go wrong with, and most are going to really enjoy!
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