Nike’s latest LeBron James signature sneaker is drawing sharp criticism after images of a Martin Luther King Jr.–themed design began circulating online.
According to The New York Times, the shoe, an “Honor the King” edition of the LeBron XXIII, features an all-teal colorway inspired by the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. The motel later reopened as the National Civil Rights Museum. LeBron James debuted the sneakers earlier this month during the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies, a choice that further tied the design to the city’s history.
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Nike has said the release was intended as a tribute, not a provocation. John Jowers, Nike’s vice president of communications, acknowledged the reaction but defended the design's intent. “Design is so subjective, and some people the design will resonate with, and others maybe less so,” Jowers said. “Obviously that becomes a little bit more charged when you have bigger principles at play. I think the intent, though, was really to pay homage to Dr. King, his life and his legacy.”
The fact that this is real indicates, yet again, that not enough black folks are in enough rooms at Nike. Or that they dont feel empowered enough to speak up. What a disgrace. Pic.twitter.com/0a25AbAZLT
— Clinton Yates (@clintonyates) January 19, 2026
That explanation has not quieted critics. ESPN commentator Clinton Yates was among the most outspoken voices pushing back on the concept. “The fact that this is real indicates, yet again, that not enough Black folks are in enough rooms at Nike,” Yates wrote. “Or that they don’t feel empowered enough to speak up. What a disgrace.”
Some sneaker fans echoed that sentiment, questioning why a commercial product would reference the location of King’s death rather than his broader work or message. Photographer and sneaker enthusiast Randy Singleton summed up that discomfort succinctly: “Out of all the things to relate back to Dr. King Jr., the motel where his life was taken as inspiration for the shoe is outrageous.”
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The National Civil Rights Museum also made clear it was not involved in the sneaker’s development. Museum president Russell Wigginton said the organization learned about the shoe only after it became public. “We certainly don’t mind people recognizing and appreciating the work that we do and what happened here,” Wigginton said. “But we have not been a part of any aspect of that, of the sneaker coming out.”