This NBA offseason for LeBron James has truly been like no other. LeBron James has us all wondering when does he find time to sleep as he continues to prove that he is more than just an athlete. At the Harlem Fashion Row, Lebron James debuted his new sneakers. These new sneakers celebrate women of color and were created by three black female designers. The three African American designers Felisha Noel, Undra Celeste Duncan, and Kimberly Goldson were chosen to take on the project based on their passion for the game of basketball and their previous work.
LeBron James went to Instagram to let his followers know to be on the lookout for all the sneakers he will be dropping this season. But what fans can be excited about right now, are his newest sneaker HFR x Lebron 16 also called, “The Strongest” praising and celebrating all women of color. These sneakers were displayed at the Harlem’s Fashion Showcase Gala. The original inspiration came from a quote LeBron gave last year when he was asked about National Girls and Women in Sports Day where he stated his mother as the strongest women he knows. At the Showcase Gala, LeBron said, “I believe that African-American women are the most powerful people in the world. Why I believe they are the most powerful women in the world because I had the example of my mother every single day.” He then went on to talk about his mother, wife, and daughter as the three important women in his life.
Undra Duncan, Kimberly Goldson, Fe Noel – Courtesy of Nike
Harlem Fashion Row Founder Brandice Henderson stated, “ The four words that came out LeBron’s mouth when he spoke about his mother were ‘strength, loyalty, courage, and dignity’ and all those four words are actually inside this shoe, so it’s like every time they put his shoe on that’s what they are standing on and I think that is so dope.” The message behind the shoe is extremely empowering to women of color in America. Thou they are seen as the lowest in society, fighting for rights because of the color of their skin and as women, the shoe shows that black women can do anything. Not only are the words uplifting inside the shoe but the fact that the shoe was designed by 3 black women sends a ray of hope in the minds of every black female young and old that when they stick together ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
The message behind the shoe is so strong that on September 7th when it was released, it sold out in just 5 minutes. This is a win for LeBron James who is showing promise to take over the sneaker game from Michael Jordan. A win for Nike after the recent collaboration with Colin Kaepernick left the country split on supporting Nike. And most importantly a win for black women in America and across the globe. Regardless of the stigma out there, you can make your life as beautiful and successful as you want it because black women are strong, loyal, courageous, and dignified.
