Nike Lebron 17 "Uptempo" Is Inspired by the Air More Uptempo

LeBron James and Nike Basketball are continuing to pay homage to the King’s favorite Nike silhouettes with the LeBron 17 “Uptempo.” Inspired by Scottie Pippen‘s classic Air More Uptempo from 1996, this LeBron 17 is awash in Chicago Bulls colors and features special embellishments to hone in its commemorative style.

Battleknit uppers are presented in a vivid “University Red,” with black swirled in around the heel and midfoot. A thin layer of white piping races around the throat and crown-shaped collar, the former of which is dressed in black and features doubled-up detailing via small red Swooshes up top and a hybrid Uptempo logo towards the toebox. Small LeBron tags are present on the collar, Uptempo-style pull tabs hit the tongue and insoles replicate the tongue’s graphic.

On the lower half, the jagged heel clip is presented in translucent fashion with a reversed black Swoosh gracing the lateral side. This see-through style fades to a milky white on the forefoot, and the hybrid cushioning system mixes Zoom Air pods in the front with sizable Air Max units in the back. This setup is perfect for high-octane takeoffs and powerful landings alike. Black outsoles finalize the style.

The Nike LeBron 17 “Uptempo” is available now at Nike JP and will release on Nike’s US webstore come May 8. The MSRP is set at $200 USD.

These Pippen-esque kicks follow April’s LeBron 17 “Command Force,” a colorful summertime homage to the Air Command Force — an ultra high-cut style from 1991 that was worn on-court by David Robinson and made famous by Woody Harrelson‘s Billy Hoyle in White Men Can’t Jump.