Who is the better basketball player… that question constantly stirs up debate more times than one can count. Have you ever thought about whose signature line has been the better overall performer?

The Air Jordan Legacy has 26 models to date, each one boasting better performance features than the previous. LeBron has 8 models, and his latest pair has had 2 versions with a third about to retail right around the corner. Kobe has had 6 models under Nike and has been aggressive about testing the performance field with groundbreaking innovation and technology with unconventional design elements (low cut sneakers anyone?!?) that had the basketball world wondering if you needed ankle insurance because you were wearing Kobe’s or because those who wore them had the upper hand in battle.

As the consumer, which of the three do you feel has had the best overall signature series from a performance perspective? Aesthetically, this might be a no brainer… but we’re talking about performance here and this is no easy feat. I myself am having a hard time choosing just one of the three since I personally have loved playing in sneakers from all three signature athletes.

Let us know which you choose & why in the comment section below. If you have an All-Time favorite performance shoe from either player’s line go ahead and share that with us as well!

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28 Comments

  1. the Air Jordan xx1…………. of the 20 or so jays ive been through, its the best on the court without argument

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  4. Kobe and Jordan all the way. Lebron zooms were much better than the garbage from the last two years. Air Max bubbles look cool, but since Lebron went AM 360, you might as well be a Clydesdale on beach rocks.

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  6. Man, y’all forgot about Penny. His career might not have had the longevity as these guys but his signature shoes are timeless. Are we forgetting the Foamposite One this quickly?

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  7. I think the recent video with UNC players talking to Jordan himself explains it all. MJ had to threaten/bride his Jordan Brand sponsored players to wear his sneakers “even if they hurt their feet” and not wear kobes…and lebrons aren’t even in the discussion.

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  8. I was surprised to see Barnes wearing Kobe’s in the last game. Guess he’s not scared of MJ. He wont endorse Nike or Jordan in the NBA. Bet on it.
    But, as much as I love and collect Jordans, I pick something else to play in.

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  9. Lebrons HANDS DOWN! This Slice dude talking about Clydesdales has obviously never worn the LeBron 8 V2. Best and most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn or played in and I’ve played in and worn them all.

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  10. i gotta agree with someone who said the penny, the foams from a performance level are great, other than that i would have to choose JB for the new 2011, you cant beat a choice in insoles such as the one they have put in their newest installment of the JB legacy. The Kobe V was a great performance shoe but not all players like to get down on the lowcut shoes still….such as myself, i don’t feel secure from all the years of wearing mid to high cut kicks.

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  12. Lebron’s All Day……. I Guess Jordans Would be Second Though Not a Big Fan of Them and Kobe’s Are Dead Last…..Ball in Lowtops If You Want to Tear Them Ankles Up…..Funny Cause Wasnt It Like 2 Weeks Ago that Kobe Sprained His Ankle and The Commentators Said “Spained it Again”….. Check Out zayax0712 on youtube

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  13. Low cut has nothing to do with anything in fact its been proven that high tops ristrict your ankles more than low tops. thats why soccer players are able to do the things that they can because they have flexibility with their ankles… people sprain ankles, not shoes anyone that says otherwise is just scared mentally

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  14. I think the Spiz’ike is the best basketball shoe ever made; the perfect combination of durability, grip (the entire sole has floor contact, low archway), flexibility, and upper structure.

    I feel that Lebron’s are great, but each year the shoes get more stiff. His shoes are built so that he has very intense achilles flexion (due to the high tongue and low back), and they don’t have a lot of flexibility. I’ve always felt that the shoe controls you in that situation, rather than the opposite.

    Kobe’s are great shoes if you’re looking for sophisticated simplicity that pays off on the court. Low cut, light, flexible and malleable material, and sick grip.

    These are all great shoes but remember one thing: Jordans are still the top choice for the most part, and can outdo the current kicks a lot of the time. Imagine the impact they had when they were going up against the shoes of the late 80’s and early 90’s.

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  15. All three have their great performance elements, it really depends on who is wearing them. I like the flexibility and the lightweight of he Kobe series (mainly the V and VI) and I usually ball in those, but I had a pair of AJ2010’s and liked the bottom loaded Zoom Air and the breathibility of the TPU window. I gotta agree with whomever said the LeBron’s are a bit heavy, the LeBron 8 V1 is pretty heavy on the court, don’t know about the V2’s havent worn them but they’re flywire so I imagine they are lighter. As of late I’d give the performance advantage to the AJ 2011; with the interchangable insoles, you’re literally able to form the shoe to fit whatever you want. There really is a huge difference between a “game shoe” and the version of the shoe that actually makes it to retail. PE’s are constructed differently, when the ppl over at nike are working on them they have an idea on what they want the game shoes to be and what they want the retail counterpart to be, sort of like buying a car, for performance you want it as stripped down and lightweight as possible, but for show you want flashy and full of amenities, I think most of what we, the consumers, see are the shoes for show (how many ppl REALLY bought the Cool Greys with the intention to ball in them? Probably not many, but thats the point, Nike knows that which is why they throw a $175 price tag on them and call them a quickstrike).

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  16. Max what? Spiz’ikes are crap to play in, the only person wearin them on court is spike lee and he is on the sideline,

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  17. Who really gives a shit they’re shoes! People have been wearing shoes for thousands of years and it did’nt matter what style or how they felt. I think society and media put so much effises on products almost like we have to buy the latest Jordans or Nikes or for alot of the high school kids on here they have to buy because its all about image and looking cool. Im speaking from experience because I use to be in the shoe game and when you get older (im 27, yeah I know im old) what you wear really does’nt matter anymore.

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  18. @Atrain

    I’ve got the Lebron V2, and the fit is nice, but they bottom out with every impact cause there’s no give. There’s a pretty good reason why the Lebron 9 and the 8 P.S. has forefoot zoom. 360 Air is all about the looks.

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  19. Cmon this is way too hard to debate! I like them all (my favorite is jordans, no question the all number series is a killer) lebrons new v2 looks so fresh , the greys r so nice. Kobe’s sneaker is somehow more for court than looks. In general my order is like this Jordans, Lebron, Kobe. My favorite player is Kobe through(Cmon nike improve his sneakers, the series is goin on a downhill) MY RATINGS R NOT BASE ON PERFORMANCE BUT LOOKS, THIS IS THE REAL WORLD IF IT DNT LOOK GOOD Y BOTHER……

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  20. First off the guy that said spiz’ikes is a fangirl…
    I like the shoe, but i’d never ball in them….

    Anyway…to be honest, Jordan Brand does a lot of fan service, or at least attempts to, not to say that his shoes aren’t comfy, but they haven’t really improved on tech so much as nike has, even if they are basically same company…. On the 2011 is a big step up tho for jordan aesthetically and performance wise…modular soles, and lightweight simple contraction, with a sole that seems to have great traction… not to high on the ankle, but mesh, to wrap but not constrict. To be honest, jordans shoes are crap sometimes, but the look is always pretty much great. There are much lighter shoes, that are cheaper, and better for your feet. Also podulon tech is pretty awesome…Im liking how they are trying to improve traction and oncourt movement. And also, notice how jordan is starting to use the air max heel with a zoom forefoot on their newer sigs coming out….

    Lots of people hate kobe shoes, KOBE SHOES, because they dont look like lifestyle shoes. THEY ARE NOT LIFESTYLE SHOES. Personally, i think the design is very nice, moving onto simpler designs to cut down on unecessary pieces of material, and building an overall PERFORMANCE shoe. I think it started with the ZK3 sort of evolving into the hyperdunk 2009/ OG, and incorporating flywire. Remember, these shoes also contain Zoom Units, comfy, and durable for making quick decision games, cuts, clutch, and dominate. Traction on kobes are great, having played in the V and VI, and comfy, great for my ankle, i actually play with a slightly sprained one, not due to the shoes, and it doesnt hurt me. Making moves on court are great, and running on court with these shoes…AWESOME.

    I was never really a fan of lebron shoes until the 7 and 7 ps. The design change and move from zoom to air max intrigued me…I didnt like the 7s, but they are comfy. The 7ps was a completely different shoe having incorporated zoom forefoot and heel. I recently also got the 8v2 cool grey. and might i say, it is one of the most comfortable shoes ever. I could walk, they look dope in shorts, and comfy to wear on court. I hoop around in these, and might i say, i can understand why they suit lebron. THey are made to take massive impact and handle explosive play. I wont say they are the best to run in, but to jump up and down and make cuts, they are just as versatile as many other great basketball shoes.

    During the 90s, i would have given it to MJ of course, kobe and bron didnt have these sigs out yet, but to be honest….Kobe’s shoes have topped in performance right now, lots of players are switching into it. Jordan’s second, but i have to say they do make a lot of crappy team models which are unecessary, they need to focus on making greater shoes…Lebron, moving up, design improvement would have take top spot, but not that his shoe isnt great, just not the best.

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  21. All of the 3 sneakers are great, but it depends how do you use it. Kobe need a low-cut shoes to increase his speed though he only play outside more. LeBron need high and bulky for protection coz’ he plays more inside. And Micheal uses mid-cut for both types of game, though he plays more outside game in later part of hes career.

    Kobe’s shoes was design for Kobe type of game, the same with LeBron and Micheal. They’re designed for their type of game.

    How do you play, are you a shooter type, inside game or both?

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  22. every jordan hands down r better then any crap lebron or kobe made jordans r the shoes everybody has been wearing for years i may be 16 but i knw more about basketball and shoes then any of you old heads jordans are the best and will alwats be the best becaues the started the nba shoe game back in 85 and if dnt think so then why did jordan get his shoe banned o becaues the were the best shoes to come to the nba

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  23. WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!WHO`SWHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! !!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! WHO`S GOT THE RINGS !!!!!!! HIS AIRNESS OF COURSE !!!!!!
    bruno1978.

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  24. great thread … i’d say the early lebrons (i’s, ii’s) that were zooms were the best. then i’d go for the late model jordans (post 17’s) when they started putting in zoom air. Kobe’s got zoom but i dont trust the low cuts without an ankle brace or wrap. Lebron I’s were great hooping shoes. Sturdy with awesome cushioning and not too heavy. That’s saying some thing b/c i can’t stand lebron and will never wear his shoes again.

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  25. @Luis Rivera….Jordan didnt start the shoe game, i hope you dont think you are older than 16. Jordan’s got banned because of the colorway, not because of the shoe performance. You probably dont even know that jordan got banned once again on a different occassion, but i wont talk about it since you dont even know shoe history…But converse and adidas were dominant shoes in the NBA before MJ even stepped foot on the official hardwood, converse namely. Don’t get me wrong, I love jordans to death, but they arent the best shoes to date. Quality is not so great, and tech is not keeping up with what athletes and players need. Nike is moving way past these with the hyperdunks, hyper…etc. Kobe shoes are actually moving up….changing up the game, and low cuts have nothing to do with sprained ankles.

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  26. AIR JORDANS ARE A LEGACY & LEGEND SNEAKERS… KOBE AND LEBRON HAVE LONG WAYS TO GO BEFORE THEY CATCH UP WITH THE JORDANS. JORDANS ARE THE ONLY SNEAKERS KIDS TO THIS DAY WILL GO TO THE MALL ON A SATURDAY AND WAIT FOR. R&B SINGER CHRIS BROWN EVEN WROTE A LINE IN ONE OF HIS SONGS FOR THE JORDANS BY SAYING ” YOU LIKE JORDANS ON SATURDAY, I GOTTA HAVE YOU AND I CANNOT WAIT.” I GIVE ENORMOUS CREDIT TO NIKE FOR THE GREAT JOB THEY ARE DOING WITH THE FOAM POSITE BUT NOTHING WILL EVER COME CLOSE TO A FRESH PAIR OF JORDANS. KOBE I’M A DIE HARD LAKER FANATIC BUT THOSE ZOOM KOBES WILL NEVER TOUCH THOSE JORDANS… KOBE YOU AND LEBRON ARE GETTING BETTER WITH THE KICKS AND MUCH CREDIT TO YOU GUYS!

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  27. From a functionality and comfort standpoint the Kobe’s are unmatched the low cut makes no difference with its performance seeing as how a higher top sneaker is mostly used for its ankle support when the majority of a sneakers ankle supportability comes from a stiffer and more rigid heel counter, a feature that is over looked on almost every Jordan and most lebron’s. They Kobe’s however were designed to give ample support without sacrificing lateral movement. also the Nike Zoom Kobe Vi is if not the most one the best basketball sneakers in terms of not constricting your foot and also breathability.

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