Nike Lebron NXXT GEN review

In addition to Lebron James' fans, we think that this signature shoe from Nike is perfect for players who:

• want a quick, responsive, and light hoop shoe
• look for a cheaper alternative to the LeBron 20
• love stylish silhouettes that stand out and make a statement on the court

Unexpectedly for a Lebron shoe, the NXXT Gen has a snug one-to-one fit. Wide footers are going to be better off with the Nike LeBron Witness 7 instead.

Even though it is a step-down version of the Lebron 20 and is $40 cheaper, it still remains among the priciest options on the market. If price is a deal-breaker for you, check out Kevin Durant's signature shoe, the KD 15.

The NXXT GEN is a toasty one. With its sturdy upper materials, the shoe doesn't allow heat to escape from the interiors. Having pumped smoke through its upper, we saw only a little streak coming out on the other side. Thus, the shoe gets as little as 2 out of 5 for breathability.

Looking at the upper material through our microscope, there is not even a slight hint of perforations.

From the inside, the upper is also reinforced with foam padding and neoprene-ish lining, leaving no "breathing room" either.

There is a small ventilation spot on the inner side of the upper though. It can be seen in our transparency test below. This little window is not covered by the in-shoe padding allowing mesh to do its job.

The shoe's upper material has an average level of durability for a basketball shoe.

After a 12-second encounter with our Dremel at the speed of 10K RPM, the shoe's toebox got only moderately damaged. We didn't get to a see-through hole and the shoe remained wearable.

For that reason, we rated its toebox durability as 3 on a scale from 1 to 5.

It is certainly not as sturdy as the Lebron 20 but it has more abrasion resistance than the cheaper Lebron Witness 7.

You can also see a suede piece embracing the toebox upfront. That really helps to protect the upper mesh from the aggressive toe drags.

The heel padding of the NXXT GEN also showed off its wear resistance. This delicate part of the shoe performed a little better than most hoop shoes in our lab.

After 4 seconds of drilling it with a Dremel, the tear was not detrimental to the shoe's overall performance and comfort, earning a rating of 3 out of 5.

Assessing the shoe's rubber outsole, we found its durability to be quite promising too.

First, we pressed a durometer against the rubber to measure its hardness. With a reading of 84.5 HC, it turns out to be harder than average. That translates to a higher chance of longer shelf life.

Measuring the shoe's outsole with a caliper, we found it to be of average thickness at 3.8 mm.

Combined with the hardness, this gives us a solid base for hundreds of hours on the court. We can even recommend the shoe for occasional outdoor use for that reason.

LeBron basketball shoes have earned a reputation for being heavy. But the Nike LeBron NXXT GEN breaks away from that. At 13.1 oz (372 g), it is a lot lighter than the average for LeBron shoes (14.3 oz or 406g).

It also turns out to be lighter than our lab-tested hoop shoes on average (13.7 oz or 387g). 

The amount of cushioning in the NXXT GEN is exactly the same as in the Lebron 20. Using a caliper, we measured its heel stack height at 26.9 mm.

The shoe also features the exact same Zoom Air units as its older sibling. This gives a green light to those hard landings and heel-dominant strikes.

Measuring the forefoot stack height, we found its thickness to be the same 22 mm as in the Lebron 20. The large Zoom Air unit is still there, adding a sweet bounce to every jump.

The heel-to-toe differential in the Lebron NXXT GEN turns out to be 4.9 mm. This is lower than the average 7 mm of our lab-tested basketball shoes.

Placing the foot more parallel to the ground results in a more grounded experience. We are happy with the fine balance of cushioning and ground feel that the NXXT provides. It follows in the footsteps of the Lebron 20 in that regard.

As you can see from the photo below, the cushioning setups are pretty much identical in these two shoes.

While those Zoom Air units do an amazing job of adding spring to the feet, the carrying foam remains on the firm side.

Based on our durometer, the foam has a thickness of 30.6 HA. This is 10% firmer than the average.

But we aren't here to complain about that! This is what makes the shoe so grounded and stable. We actually think that this is one of the best setups for balancing impact protection and court feel.

A padded insole complements the shoe's primary cushioning. Measuring it with a caliper, we found that at 3.6 mm it is a little thinner than average.

For a s compared to the original Lebron 20, it retains a solid level of support and stability.

From the stiff shank in the midfoot to the firm hold of the upper materials, our feet felt safely contained inside the NXXT GEN.

The stiff midfoot shank is very helpful in stabilizing the foot for agile multi-directional movements. Having twisted the shoe sideways in our manual test, we rated its torsional rigidity as 4 out of 5. Nearly the stiffest in our range!

Our heels and ankles felt securely contained inside the NXXT GEN.

On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the stiffest, we rated its heel counter stiffness as 3. This is a little less rigid than the average but solid enough for a proper hold.

The NXXT GEN doesn't have as wide an outrigger as the Lebron 20. Measuring the widest part of the forefoot with a caliper (107.9 mm), we found that it is a few millimeters narrower than the original.

But in our opinion, this is a rather small sacrifice to make if you want to experience the lightest Lebron shoe in the series. It is in no way detrimental to the shoe's stability.

To reassure you of the shoe's ample stability, the widest part of its heel (90.3 mm) is still the same as the average.

The Nike Lebron NXXT GEN finds a way to be flexible despite the shank and the Zoom Air unit embedded into its sole.

We used a gauge to measure how much force it takes to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle. Turns out, only 32.4N! This is 30% less than it takes on average.

Whether the court is clean or dirty, it doesn't make any difference to the mighty bite of this Lebron shoe. It requires minimal wiping and remains consistent on both indoor and outdoor courts.

Cute fact: The shoe's tread pattern replicates the map of Akron, OH. This is a nod to LeBron James' roots.

At 98.9 mm in the widest part of the toebox, the shoe turns out to be a little narrower than average.

For our medium-width feet, the NXXT GEN feels rather snug and precise. There is not much breathing room so if you need more space, it's better to go half-size up.

This LeBron shoe also tapers a bit more than the other basketball shoes we've measured. With a width of 74.9 mm around the big toe, the NXXT GEN is narrower than the average by a few millimeters.

A fully-gusseted tongue really enhances the lockdown capacities of this shoe. There was no sliding of the foot or the tongue even during the most shifty situations on the court.

The tongue is very generously padded in the NXXT GEN shoe. We measured its thickness at 10.2 mm. It offers plenty of in-shoe comfort and guards the instep from lace pressure.

The shoe has a small finger loop at the back but it acts more as a decorative element. It comes with an "XX" embellishment to signify the shoe's relation to the LeBron XX (or 20).

For those who need to use custom orthotics with the shoe, the NXXT GEN has a removable insole.