Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Hours and Locations
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Floor Plans
    • Dining and Shopping
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • Art & Design
    • History & Culture
    • Science & Conservation
    • Collections
      • Open Access
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer and Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile Apps
  • Learn
    • For Kids and Teens
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Professional Development
      • Events
    • Youth Programs
    • Fellowships and Internships
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Work with Us
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • About Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Make a Gift
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Organization
      • Leadership
        • Secretary Bunch
        • Advancement
        • Communications
        • Administration
        • Education
        • Museums and Culture
        • Science and Research
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

"Equality" basketball shoes game-worn by LeBron James

National Museum of African American History and Culture
Social Media Share Tools
    • Print

Object Details

Manufactured by
Nike Inc., American, founded 1971
Worn by
LeBron James, American, born 1984
Caption
LeBron James wore this pair of Equality shoes for the Cleveland Cavaliers' game against the Washington Wizards on December 18, 2017. After the game, James told reporters,“Obviously, we know where we are right now. We know who’s at the helm. Us as Americans, no matter the skin color, no matter the race, no matter who you are, we all have to understand having equal rights and being able to stand for something, speak for something and keeping the conversation going…Obviously, I’ve been outspoken and well-spoken about what’s going on at the helm here. We’re never going to let one person dictate us Americans — how beautiful and how powerful we are as a people. Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men, as women, black or white, or Hispanic. It don’t matter your race, whatever the case may be. This is a beautiful country.”
Description
A pair of Nike ZOOM + MAX "Equality" basketball shoes game-worn by LeBron James. The shoes are made from synthetic fabric upper and other manmade materials. The left shoe is all white, and the right is entirely black. Shoes are tongue-less high-tops with elasticated ankles and pull loops for pulling the shoes on. Both front loops have an impression of Roman numerals XV. The fabric of the shoes is stitched into a diamond pattern except at the heel, where gold embroidery spells out the word [EQUALITY]. Below the embroidery, the plastic sole extends up the back of the heel. Plastic sole extended up the back of the heel is decorated with a gold Nike-brand "swoosh" symbol and has [12/17 1st half] written in black marker on both shoes. Number on sole of left shoe reads [330503216] and number on sole of right shoe reads [LRJSFG23].
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of LeBron James
2017
Object number
2018.58ab
Restrictions & Rights
© Nike
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Type
sneakers
Medium
synthetic fiber , plastic , rubber
Dimensions
H x W x D (together): 8 9/16 × 7 5/8 × 19 7/8 in. (21.7 × 19.3 × 50.5 cm)
H x W x D (Left [a]): 8 9/16 × 3 15/16 × 19 7/8 in. (21.7 × 10 × 50.5 cm)
H x W x D (Right [b]): 8 1/16 × 3 15/16 × 19 7/8 in. (20.5 × 10 × 50.5 cm)
Place used
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing-Historical
Exhibition
Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 052
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Activism
Basketball
Clothing and dress
Sports
Record ID
nmaahc_2018.58ab
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5a6760e64-9259-41b4-91bd-7d94dcfc21c1

Related Content

  • Fabulous Footwear

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Human Resources
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top