LeBron James stepped into the Arena in Los Angeles on Monday wearing a very surprising pair of sneakers: the all-new Nike Lunar Roam . A breathable, lightweight lifestyle shoe, they’re a far cry from the kinds of flashy, eye-catching grails that typically turns heads in the NBA tunnel—which is exactly why these understated kicks caught our attention.
The Lunar Roam is a throwback to a formerly cutting-edge Nike technology: Lunarlon Foam, a space-age compound combining ethylene vinyl acetate with nitrile rubber with a uniquely soft, bouncy consistency. Developed by Nike in the late 2000s, and introduced through a hugely successful line of running sneakers, Lunarlon Foam came about as a major advancement in technical footwear, intended to relieve basketball players from the strain of pounding the court and to alleviate long-distance runners from the wear and tear of training for marathons.
You might have jogged in a pair of Nike Lunaracers or hooped in a set of Nike Hyperdunks in the late aughts. But the Nike Lunar Roam is the first time the Lunarlon Foam has been integrated into a basic lifestyle sneaker, where the pliable cushioning of the foam sole is there strictly for mundane comfort. The idea of Lunarlon was to capture the feeling of astronauts walking on the moon, providing so much absorption in every step that it would feel like weightlessness when walking or playing sports. Now you can enjoy that feeling just walking around day to day—no marathon training necessary.
What LeBron made clear last night is that this level of comfort can also look cool. Paired with pressed black dress pants and a simple t-shirt and denim jacket, the Lunar Roams are as clean as any hype pair of streetwear sneakers. The plush base is set off nicely against the sleek mesh upper and TPU reinforcements, while the “Alabaster” colorway shows off comfort-focused design without sacrificing fashion cred. In short, this is one classic running shoe we’re glad to see making a comeback—and as a sneaker with lifestyle credentials, it’s never been better.
