I personally find this to be one of the sexiest Lebron shoes of all time, but it’s probably because it looks like the AJ XI
I do not remember a time, other than the LBJ III, that I was dying to have a Lebron shoe because of the looks.. and both times they looked similar to the AJ XI and not so Lebronish.
Not much is written on this shoe for some reason so what the hell right?
Pros: traction, Zooooom, containment, interior materials and patent leather are high quality
Cons: early generation Flywire is literally plastic and not really conforming, lots of weird flexing and popping, too much Zoom and rounded outsole causes instability in the heel.
Sizing: half size down
Best for: Zoom lovers
Weight
15.5 oz so pretty average for today’s shoes
Traction
Pretty much full length herringbone..
I found this traction to be one of the best of all the Lebrons. Not much wiping needed at all even in dusty floors and it bites well. The herringbone doesn’t reach the edges of the outsole but it still works well.
Simplicity pays off doesn’t it Nike?
Cushioning
Big ol’ Zoom in the heel and a nice fat Zoom bag in the forefoot that feels like Zoom. What the hell happened Nike?
Look how big and wide this Zoom bag is, it basically covers the entire heel
I love the impact protection of the Lebron VII PS especially in the heel. However it is a bit overdone and makes the heel unstable (will cover later). This much Zoom also makes the shoe play “laggy” as the Zoom doesn’t rebound as fast as I’d like as I always felt half a step behind. A little more Phylon or firmness around the outer edges would have made these perfect. But man it feels great.
Fit
In general, I’ve found patent leather shoes run bigger than normal because they can’t really hug the foot due to the stiffness of the leather. I went down half a size to a 10.5 and these fit me perfectly length wise and width wise. There is no heel slip either however there is a bit of deadspace along the sides due to the plasticky Flywire and patent leather. Not a big deal but feels odd after coming off leather uppers.
Despite the locked in heel, I never felt a one to one fit because the plasticky upper couldn’t hug my foot correctly; It felt like a shell of a shoe.
Overall, this fit sounds fine on paper but during play, it’s a little cold and sloppy.
Materials
Flywire in its infancy was a joke. It was mainly plastic with a few strands of Flywire to make it look fancier. I think my shower curtain could have doubled as Flywire.
If you like breakdancing, you’ll love this upper because it pops like nobody’s business. It doesn’t really go away but you get used to it. Kind of how Nike did away with leather and we just all got used to it. 
The patent leather is great although a little thin but it is durable and fairly resistant to wrinkling (this is my second pair of 7 PS) and the lining of the ankle collar looks and feels well made.
Support and Stability
Support comes mainly from the fit and the heel counter and does a decent job but nothing extraordinary.
Midfoot support is nice thanks to a real carbon fiber shank
Stability is good at the forefoot due to the outrigger but stability at the heel is too tippy.
It is contoured at the heel and the Zoom compresses too much on outward landings.
It’s almost like stepping on the edge of a mattress. I tweaked my ankle in these but nothing serious because I didn’t really like the shoe as a whole so these didn’t get a ton of serious runs in these.
Containment
Containment is solid as always with Lebrons and the the 7 PS is no different due to the patent leather. It does not stretch at all on hard cuts.
Conclusion
The Lebron VII PS will be remembered as a Jordan XI wannabe but it was actually a decent effort by Nike to incorporate new technologies into the Lebron line. It could have easily been a beast on court if it had a few tweaks here and there to make it an all around performer like Lebron himself. I’ve thought about selling these many times because I never wear them but they are just so pretty that I can’t get myself to. If Nike could learn to merge beauty and performance together again, the Lebron line could be even bigger than it is already is.
schwollo.com 
Great review. My favorite Lebron to play in after the Soldier 3s. I had a very similar experience with my two pairs – poppy upper, zoom for days, a little instability in the heel, and very good traction. I really liked them and and played in them until they died. Do they measure up to current shoes? Not really because uppers conform better and we have foam cushioning systems that absorb impact really well while feeling less laggy and mushy. A modern take on this shoe could be awesome though.
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Yep this is my second pair . I sold my beaters a few years ago. If they kept the upper as leather or mesh (like the AJ XI) would have been much better.
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I remember these cuz Jerffferson reviewed these and praised them so much. If someone asked me which Lebron shoes are the best i would probably chose these along with some of the soldiers (3,6,9). Did you try the 8 P.S and the 9?
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This shoe has its strengths but it’s just not for me. Probably the most guard like shoe out of the Lebron line. And yes I have played in the 8 ps and 9…actually every Lebron but the soldier I IV and V. Soldier iii is great wish traction was better, vi still the best and ix is pretty good . Soldier VII and viii were meh
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Hey man, great review 😀 amazing how all of your reviews are really in-depth, really sets you apart. Btw completely unrelated but what would you suggest for an outdoor balling wide-footer whose 1st priority is impact protection, and 2nd is containment, the hd2016s (regular), soldier 9s, or the hyperrev 2016s?
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Soldier ix esp for outdoors. Durable outsole and upper. I do prefer the zoom of the hr16 the most but the soldier ix is solid in that department as well. All 3 have good containment but soldier ix will last the longest outdoors. Hope that helps !
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Hey man, great review! amazing how all of your reviews are so in-depth, it really sets you apart 😀 Btw, completely unrelated (sorry), but what would you suggest for and outdoor playing wide footer whose 1st priority is impact protection, and 2nd is containment, the hd16s,soldier 9s, or hr16s? read your reviews and about them, and they’re all sounding really good ( the ranking is probably hr>soldier9>hd for you) but just for those 2 priorities i was wondering which would be the best hhahaha (i dont know if i posted this already, sorry if it was)
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oh wait, it did get posted hahaha didn’t notice, thanks for the reply man 😀
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Np!
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Once again a great review!! I love the silhouette of this LeBron because it’s looks like XI (it’s true) but i definitely prefer the Air Max version. I also agree with your last sentence about the LeBron line which has “forget” to merge beauty and performance in their last models. They have sacrifice beauty in the name of performing!
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Is the zoom in these shoes similar to the zoom that is found in the hyperdunk 2011 and lebron soldier 6?
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It is really
Good, probably softer than the Soldier vi by a little and even more Than the hd11.
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wow the zoom in the soldier 6 is softer than whats in the hd11!? damn gotta get a pair before they go extinct
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It’s pretty big zoom in those Soldier vis
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do the leather-based versions of these shoes also run 1/2 size bigger?
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Not sure didn’t try them non patent
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Have u ever tried playing in the regular Lebron 7s?
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