More than a year after LeBron James debuted his Nike LeBron 21 “Air DT Max ’96” at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, a different mashup of a Deion Sanders sneaker will finally release to the public.
The Nike LeBron 21 “Prime ’93” is set to hit stores in May after word of the shoe’s production first surfaced last summer. Rather than his third sneaker, the Air DT Max ’96 featuring claw mark-like stripes, its Sanders’ first signature model, the Air Diamond Turf, that’s now replicated on the upper. It isn’t just a matter of putting the upper of one shoe atop the sole of another, however, as the upper does still maintain the shape of the LeBron 21.
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Appearing in the Air Diamond Turf’s original “Atlanta Falcons” colorway, the sneaker comes with a lower cut than the older model and a greater application of black suede. The shape of the strap and mesh windows remain largely the same, with a leather Swoosh now added, and so too does the mustache. Sanders’ dual-sport “Primetime” logo also carries over to the tongue, and the LeBron 21 sole unit remains unchanged with its full-length Cushlon 2.0 foam carrier and forefoot Turbo unit, which should make this pair a lot more comfortable than its more than 30-year-old counterpart.
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James wore his LeBron 21 “Air DT Max ’96” in several colorways but it never released to the public. The two mashup sneakers come after Sanders’ rejoined Nike in 2023 following more than a decade away from the company and a promise that he would never work with it again. Prior to the reunion, the LeBron 15 borrowed the strap from the Air Diamond Turf in 2018.
With the LeBron 22 now the latest in James’ series, a new edition of his prior sneaker releasing comes as something of a rarity for Nike.
The Nike LeBron 21 “Prime ’93” will release in May through the Snkrs app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $180.
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