Nike will pay tribute to Deion Sanders' Diamond Turf line with the help of LeBron James. This is the first instance of a collaboration between the two GOATs since the NBA All-Star Game just a shade over a year ago. In the event, James appeared to be playing in what looked like actual Nike Air Diamond Turf 3s. However, he was not wearing Air DT Max 96s, but his own shoe inspired by Prime's revolutionary line.
A set of footwear that revolutionized football and paved the way for the modern athletes to wear today. The Lebron 21 has design and colorway flexibility, and Nike has been sure to maximize that. This latest scheduled release happens to be the first James/Sanders shoe mashup that will be made available to the public. The previously mentioned ASG shoe was essentially what Nike refers to as a "PE" or Player Exclusive.
Made in extremely low quantities and typically only intended for a specific athlete. The LeBron 21 "Prime 93" is the first of these collaborations to hit retailers. The release date is tentatively slated for a May 9, 2025 release, just in time for the NBA Playoffs. May will be an interesting release month for Nike and the LeBron 21 Prime 93 offers a nice reprieve from most of what's releasing in that window. Alongside a Kobe 9 EM "Mambacita", Foamposite ‘psychic blue', the first A'ja Wilson signature shoe, Kobe Protro 6 "Dodgers", as well as the less than impressive Air Max Dn8 and KD 18 Bakin, the LeBron 21 Prime 93 offers a nice departure from most of what Nike has been releasing lately.
A throwback to Nike's renaissance. Nothing shiny or neon. No earthtones. Not a recycled hypebeast design motif. A true representation of when Nike became the sneaker King. The LeBron 21 "Prime 93" is not simply a LeBron shoe made to look like a Prime shoe. It simply takes the design elements of the Diamond Turf 1 and attempts to place those details within the existing designs of the Lebron 21. A significant shift from the Lebron 21 DT3 player exclusive. That previously mentioned shoe appeared as if the DT3 design was simply laid overtop of the Lebron 21. The Prime 93 releasing later this year does something different.
At first glance separately, it's not quite a direct facsimile of Prime's first signature shoe. When placed side by side the subtle differences are noticeable but also make sense. Both shoes appear to be almost 50% white and 50% black with red trim and gold details. The forefoot strap is similar. The support straps for the forefoot strap both have black and gold, but the gold are in different positions. The Nike heel tab is almost identical. Even the tongue logo is Deion's "Diamond Turf" logo.
One of the largest differentiators, however, is the presence of additional swooshes. Maybe the biggest detail about Deion's original is a lack of swooshes. The original has a large one on the Velcro strap and on the heel tab, but nowhere on the profile of the shoe had swooshes. In the LeBron 21 Prime 93, there are 2 predominant swooshes on the profile. It is not a negative design feature, but it is something that makes this shoe appear to not be a DT1 copy.
The most remarkable aspect of this Nike creation is that the design works, regardless of LeBron or Deion's influence. In today's sneaker landscape, the LeBron 21 Prime 93 should be a successful release even if we didn't associate it as a LeBron shoe or a Deion shoe. It has a similar performance shape and profile that made the Kobe Protro 6 wildly popular as well as the Sabrina Ionescu line, also wildly popular among performance basketball shoe enthusiasts.
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It is a ‘low' as compared to Deion's original ‘mid', however, that distinction is difficult to see if they aren't side by side. Following the original design of the LeBron 21, the shoe is close but not a copy. The toe box lacks the ‘jagged' nature of Prime's original. It is slopier and less ‘chunky' than Prime's original. It has a completely different midsole. All things considered; the LeBron 21 Prime 93 is a very solid stand-alone model even if it didn't have two of the greatest athletes of all time associated with it.
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As a LeBron shoe, it's easily one of the better designs of the last 8-10 years and should be viewed as the best LeBron 21 model by a wide margin. The Prime 93 should eclipse the Freshwater, Textile Armory, James Gang, Conchiolin, Abalone, and every other LeBron 21 models previously released. Even as a tribute to Deion Sanders' Diamond Turf line, it also hits. The LeBron 21 Prime 93 will not likely reach "grail" distinction, but it should be at the top of any serious sneakerhead's 2025 wish list.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 9:55 AM.