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I haven’t owned some Lebron 8s in years! Which is a shame because in the height of my Lebron collecting, the 8s were my favorite, and still are!

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The Nike Lebron 8 is the 2010 season signature shoe from Lebron James. They come in a high and lowtop version and were designed by Jason Petrie. They are one of the only Lebron signature models that work just as well casually as they do on court!

The highs have V1-V3 versions which change the build and composition slightly. The lows from what I remember are all V2. I used to own a ton of 8s and sold them off. Now I’m rebuilding my collection thanks to some great retros from Nike

The first Nike sig shoe for Lebron was actually the Zoom Generation which released in 2003. The Lebron 8 has stood the test of time as a basketball shoe that also works off court. Some would argue later Lebron models edged more towards performance. It’s no surprise shoes that worked so well casually are now being retroed, similar to the classic Air Jordan retros we’re all used to.

While I still focus mainly on retro runners and casual shoes, I mess with retro basketball shoes as well. Besides Air Jordans, I used to have a good amount of signature kicks from Penny Hardaway and others. That energy to me helps keep collecting fun, rather than pigeonholing myself to just 3 or 4 models I mess with. So of course I’m going to revisit the Lebron line when they start rereleasing the classics.

Nike Lebron 8 HWC

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The first colorway I picked up in the series of 2021 retros are the HWC edition. This pair seems like it would be a Knicks colorway, but is actually based on the Hardwood Classic throwback jersey for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When this colorway was shown back in the day, it was a player edition that was very rare and highly sought after

Now apparently, these things are everywhere as they were very easy to pick up on release date. I held out and was able to get my pair for under retail! Interesting that a well known PE would still fly under the radar when finally released. Perhaps the hype for any color of the Lebron 8 isn’t there except for well known colorways like the Miami Nights and South Beach.

Still, I love an orange and blue sneaker, clear outsoles, and actual materials on basketball shoes (vs all tech materials on the uppers). So for me, I knew at some point these would be in my collection. I thought the pictures of these that I was seeing around social media made them look great, and that is confirmed with these now in hand.

These are a V1 technically, so they have a beefier upper, while the V2 and V3 strip the model down to make it lighter with more of a tech-based upper. These do feel rather luxurious for a hoop shoe and it makes sense why Lebron got increasingly lighter versions as the season went on. Still, for casual appeal these are tough to beat as far as the Lebron line in my opinion.

Nike Lebron 8 V2 Low Sprite

The next colorway I picked up in the series of 2021 retros are the Sprites. It’s a direct retro of a pair from 2011. These aren’t an official collab. If memory serves, Lebron was doing Sprite commercials back then, so this colorway seems inspired by that.

Again, the hype does not seem to be there for these lows like it is for the Miami Nights lows. When these released the first time, I remember them being popular but attainable. These might wind up going a similar route. Which is fine by me. I got my pair for a little over retail, and I probably overpaid but I wanted to make sure I had these again.

I have literal nostalgia for this pair. Back in the day I used to own these and the only difference I could find in the retros is the inclusion of spare laces. My memory’s a little foggy here but I don’t believe the OG had them. I was going through this weird phase where I was getting rid of a lot of my basketball shoes when I sold my old pair. Once they started retroing Lebrons, I hoped they would return.

This color combination is fire! The blue is intense on this shoe and it pops! The volt and white pop against the shoe. It’s loud but at the same time simple and not garish.

These are a V2 like most other 8 lows, so they have a lighter upper. While you lose the suede, leather and nubuck, you gain comfort and shed excess weight. While I love for example the materials of the HWC pair, I can’t deny these seem more practical to wear more often.

Details/Materials

The materials and details vary with each release and really vary depending on the different versions and whether a high or low top. I’ll list the materials on the version(s) I have below and add on if/as I get more.

Starting off on the V1 8s we have a lion graphic with contrasting eyes on the tongue. The material here seems to be either patent or some other kind of plastic. On the V2 lows we get the lion graphic behind some TPU and flywire instead. As we move down the tongue on either it becomes mesh. On the back of the tongue we have a tag that says “Designed and Engineered to the Exact Specifications of Mr. Lebron James” with an 828. The 828 represents 82 regular games and 28 playoff games in an NBA season.

On the HWC, we have nubuck eyelets leading down to a nubuck toebox. The Sprites use this vinyl material on the eyelets and have a TPU mesh toebox. We have Lebron and James with a crown logo debossed at the top of the right and left toebox respectively on both pairs. The Lebron 8 mid adds a swoosh on the inner toe.

On the side we get panels of flywire TPU alternating with either nubuck panels (HWC) or TPU mesh (Sprite). The mids’ TPU area almost looks like a carbon fiber pattern although I don’t think there’s actual carbon fiber here. Towards the back we get the swoosh. On the HWC it’s a kind of plastic material while on the Sprite it’s printed onto a flywire TPU panel.

On the back we have the Lebron James signature and swoosh on a panel of more of that patent (HWC) or vinyl (Sprite) and underneath a rubbery plastic backtab. We have more nubuck surrounding the ankle.

On the insole we have a tag with the Whitness logo on it. The outsole is mostly one color with the lion logo in a contrasting color in the middle. The lows add an additional color around the perimeter.

These ship with stretchy flat laces with “Lebron” and “Eight” on the aglets. Unlike some 2021 dunk releases, these flat laces are a normal width rather than the skinny ones Nike likes to use. Much better! The box and paper remind me of the packaging of the original Lebron 8, so that’s a great touch there.

It is Just the shoes and the box basically with the Lebron 8. That’s how it was back then too as far as I can recall. The cost here is more associated with the signature line and the tech that is still in place on this sneaker.

How is the Quality on the Nike Lebron 8?

The V1 8s use leathers, suedes and nubucks in addition to flywire while later versions strip away the sourced materials. On the HWC for example, there’s a blue nubuck used on a bulk of the upper. This material is soft to the touch and even provides somewhat of a backstroke.

I’m definitely feeling the suedes and nubucks used on these retros. While they may not be the most practical for basketball, for casual wear they definitely impart a luxurious quality to the shoe. For the HWC, the nubuck makes the shoe look and feel premium.

As for the flywire and other technical materials, it seems to be decent quality but is tough to judge. For the most part, it is what it is, and seems solidly built. I’m sure if someone were to play in one of these retros, the flywire and TPU would help with fit and lockdown for a better performance.

The craftsmanship and QC here seems typical for Nike. On my pairs, there are definitely some paint issues around the midsole and what appear to be minor glue marks on some of the flywire areas. Still, most of these are minimal and easily ignorable unless you are looking at them right up close. Overall I think Nike did a decent job on these retros as far as materials and craftsmanship goes.

How Do The Lebron 8 Fit?

These provide a very snug fit at true to size. A half size up is generally recommended unless using for basketball.

I wear a size 9.5 in most Nikes, but for performance sneakers, I like to go a half size up. By default, I got these in a 10 and they are definitely snug. I’d describe the fit as more of a 1:1 “performance” fit rather than a generous casual fit. While it’s no secret people like me wear these shoes casually, it’s intended design is for basketball. You don’t want your feet sliding around in a game. Still, the snug fit seems appropriate and for me isn’t a bother. So overall my advice is, whatever you normally get in Nikes, go true to size for a snug 1:1 fit or half size up if you have wide feet or want more room around the toebox and sides. The V2 low is a bit more forgiving on space in my opinion than the mid.

Comfort

The feel on foot at a half size up is that these are hugging the feet, with the lows being just a little bit less so. When brand new, the upper on the mid does not provide a lot of give and seems pretty rigid at first. The V2 low is less stiff right out of the box. The flywire areas break in pretty quickly, and the nubuck areas might take a few wears to get them to soften up a bit. I like the snug fit here personally and appreciate the fit of the lows as being more forgiving.

One thing I like about these is that there is no internal seam by the pinkie toe. So while my pinky is contacting the side, it’s not rubbing against anything that might irritate it. That makes these way more tolerable to wear. It looks like there would be a seam because of the paneling on the outside, but the inside doesn’t reflect that.

As far as underfoot, the Lebron 8 features a 360 Air Max unit which is very comfortable. On a lot of Air Max kicks I don’t always feel the cushioning, but here it is very pronounced. It feels like my feet are on an air bed!

Overall, I’d say the Nike Lebron 8 is fairly comfy despite the mids being a bit tight at true size. I probably am not taking these on any long walks or anything, but I can make them work over time as they break in! These things feel great underfoot, and are one of the shoes where I definitely feel the tech! I’d say these are a great shoe to rock comfortably for a couple hours hanging around casually.

Final Thoughts

I was wondering when Nike would start bringing the 8s back, and here we are! The colorways that have been coming out have been amazing and I might go back and get some pairs I missed. I like how Nike is bringing some of my favorite models in the line back.

The HWC 8s I picked up are amazing in hand! I really like this colorway and how it comes off on this shoe. The nubuck they use here is a nice touch and adds a bit of class to the sneaker.

While the fit and materials are way more tech-forward than the retro runners and so forth in my collection, these carry a similar nostalgia to those for me. The Sprites are a shoe I actually had and wanted to have again. Signature basketball shoes are usually designed with at least some crossover appeal, and the Lebron 8 in particular exemplifies that. The tech underfoot is comfy on these and more noticeable than other shoes I’ve had with similar elements in the cushioning. Best of all though, the 8 looks great on feet!

Where To Cop the Nike Lebron 8

As of the writing of this article, you can find the HWC colorway on eBay. You can also find the Sprite colorway on eBay