Nike's New 'Fruity Pebbles' Shoe for LeBron James Is an Official Collab. Here's How.

Nike has revisited the 'Fruity Pebbles' theme for LeBron James' new sneaker, the LeBron 19 Low. This time, it's an official collab. Here's how it happened.

Nike LeBron 19 Low 'Fruity Pebbles'
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Nike LeBron 19 Low 'Fruity Pebbles'

Sugary cereal and Saturday morning cartoons—the combination is one of the simple pleasures for countless children. And while LeBron James may have vastly separated himself from plenty of his peers by growing up to be one of the greatest basketball players to ever live, at one point he was just like many of us. He just wanted his cereal. As the story goes, he preferred to fill his bowl with Fruity Pebbles, the multicolored delicacy endorsed by the Flintstones

Sometimes in sneakers, these small nuances of a particular person become the central theme for certain colorways that tell stories beyond just using the team colors to match an athlete’s uniform. In LeBron’s case, the colorful cereal has been one of the most notable.

Nike first played with the Fruity Pebbles theme, albeit with no official ties to the Post cereal brand, back in 2006 with a friends and family colorway of the LeBron 4. The pair featured a white and grey upper with a multicolored pattern made to mimic the cereal covering the mudguard. Its limited nature has made the particular pair one of the most coveted from LeBron’s signature line, which is now on its 19th installment. Nike revisited the idea a handful of times in the years that followed. The LeBron 11, 12, and 13 each received grade school releases that were meant to nod to Fruity Pebbles with similar multicolored detailing. The LeBron 15 saw adult-sized pairs release. The theme was executed with colorful Battleknit uppers. On March 7, 2022, National Cereal Day, the latest “Fruity Pebbles” LeBron sneaker hit the market. The LeBron 19 Low, which sold out in minutes upon dropping on Nike SNKRS, has the distinction of being the first pair to be an official collaboration between Nike and Post.

Nike LeBron 19 Low 'Magic Fruity Pebbles'
Nike LeBron 19 Low 'Magic Fruity Pebbles' DQ8344 100 Lateral
LeBron James Magic Fruity Pebbles

LeBron collector Jared Breaker, who goes by @karatekickz23 on Instagram, tells Complex that although most LeBron Lows aren’t necessarily his favorite and he would rather just see the 4s receive a retro release, he is excited to see Nike continue to produce creative projects for the LeBron line.

“I love the fact that they’re trying to do something different with the cereal, promoting it more, giving away free pairs, the exclusive access, because all that does is generate more hype and excitement,” Breaker says. But he hopes that the theme doesn’t become too oversaturated moving forward. “It’s cool that they’re doing a collaboration, but then collaborate with something else. Don’t just keep it at cereal. At some point, you’re going to be beating a dead horse.”

There do appear to be more cereal-themed LeBrons coming. Brothers says to “keep an eye out” regarding future projects between LeBron and the Pebbles brand. Following our conversation, news of a potential “Fruity Pebbles” LeBron 4 retro later this year surfaced. Will it come back complete with the official ties to the brand this time? It’s certainly possible given the new relationship. But there is no way to confirm or deny that just yet. 

Either way, it is yet another example of Nike bringing some attention back to LeBron’s signature line with a grail pair from the archive that will surely appease collectors. Look at the recently-released “Watch the Throne” LeBron 9 or “South Beach” LeBron 8 retros as other notable examples of this. The basketball sneaker market may not be the “cool” thing anymore, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still able to produce some noteworthy moments.

Nike LeBron 4 Fruity Pebbles Wallpaper

While the nostalgic retro releases are certainly important, the introduction of the LeBron 19 Low through this Pebbles partnership could give some life to new LeBron offerings as well. The man himself has not exactly been fond of wearing the LeBron 19 much in games throughout the current NBA season, which makes it even tougher to convince fans it is worth the $200 price tag. In the All-Star Game, we saw him revisit the LeBron 9 Low, a silhouette that’s 10 years old. In many games, including his recent 56-point explosion to defeat the Golden State Warriors, he has laced up the Ambassador 13, a fine performance shoe obviously but not exactly a silhouette that will be taking over the lifestyle space any time soon.

Unveiling the latest LeBron with a nostalgic collaboration could bring some more eyes back to the line that have since moved on to other styles. Only time will tell. Whether it does or not, the Magic Fruity Pebbles LeBron 19 Low is certainly a childhood dream come to life.

“To have an original pair of my Nike sneakers pay tribute to my favorite cereal growing up is surreal,” says James in a press release. “Putting them on and seeing the colorway come to life is even better.”