LeBron James and Kevin Durant are almost certainly the two best basketball players in the world today, and they are also the two best sneaker sellers. Forbes recently reported the individual signature sneaker sales numbers in the United States for 2013, revealing that King James and the Durantula are head and shoulders above everyone else. LeBron sold $300 million worth of his signatures shoes in ’13, while KD did $175 million. Even though LBJ’s numbers nearly double second place, Durant’s kicks achieved the largest increase from the year before: up 400% from the $35 million he did in the U.S. in 2012 thanks to his low-top Nike KD VI. James’ Nike LeBron 11 flattened from 2012’s Nike LeBron X, as did Kobe’s Nike and Derrick Rose’s adidas line.
Overall, Nike and Jordan Brand monopolized the basketball footwear industry in 2013 with a 92% share. Adidas came in at a distant second with 5.5%, while Reebok’s 1.4% and Under Armour’s 0.7% held court. See a list of the top signature sneaker sellers below, and keep Nice Kicks bookmarked for everything sneakers.
U.S. Retail Basketball Signature Shoe Sales:
LeBron James (Nike): $300 million
Kevin Durant (Nike): $175 million
Kobe Bryant (Nike): $50 million
Derrick Rose (Adidas): $40 million
Carmelo Anthony (Jordan): $30 million
Chris Paul (Jordan): $30 million
Dwight Howard (Adidas): $5 million
Source: SportsOneSource
Nike LeBron 11 “King’s Pride” Nike KD VI “Preheat”
