Nike’s Witness is a relatively new addition to the LeBron signature line. Conceived as a budget-friendly line, the first two installments of the Witness were run-of-the-mill shoes and they were average on-court performers at best.
The narrative for the Witness line changed this year with the release of the Nike LeBron Witness III. It came with tons of upgrades in terms of its tech specs as well as its aesthetics. It absolutely did not disappoint in terms of on-court performance too.
Now that Nike has decided to come out with a PRM edition of the Witness III, it’s time to take it for another test run to see if the patent leather treatment takes the performance up a notch or if it’s all just for show.
Traction
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM features a story-telling herringbone traction pattern. The design features a map of Ohio, LeBron James’ home state, to highlight the fact that The King will always pay tribute to his roots.
In terms of performance, the traction did incredibly well and stopping on a dime is really easy to do. It needs a couple of days of playing to break the traction in, but once it does, you’ll definitely feel like you’re glued to the floor. However, dirt can negatively affect the adherence of the traction so you have to wipe your soles in regularly if you play in a dusty court.
As for the traction’s durability, the shoe’s been outfitted with XDR rubber for its release here in Asia, so if you play on rough outdoor courts, you’ll have no problems.
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM’s traction and the encapsulated Air-Sole.
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM’s traction and the encapsulated Air-Sole.
Cushion
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM features a full-length encapsulated Air-Sole unit is utilized as the Witness III PRM’s cushioning system, and it does its job well.
Unlike other LeBron signature sneakers, the Witness III’s cushion is geared towards a more responsive experience. It may not be as plush as the premium LeBron and Soldier lines from Nike, but the bounce you get from the encapsulated Air Sole gives you that added court feel.
Materials
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM’s materials are what sets it apart from the original Witness III. The sneaker still features a basic knitted upper paired with mesh overlays, while an Air Sole unit encapsulated in a Phylon midsole and a herringbone traction rounds out the bottom of the shoe.
The design choice that makes this a “premium” edition of the Witness III is the patent leather overlay that’s been added to the shoe. It’s placed on the toe area and it extends to the lateral side of the shoe. The patent leather overlay provides much needed sturdiness to the toe area because the original Witness III had deficiencies in terms of structural support in the forefoot area.
Despite being a budget-friendly model, the Witness III PRM’s materials feel great on the feet. During the time that we played in the shoe, it didn’t feel like you were giving anything up for the price. It’s well put together and could easily pass as a shoe with a higher price point.
Fit and Support
As for the fit, the Nike LeBron Witness III PRM is relatively snug and is a bit long, but going up half a size isn’t really advisable. Personally, it fits true to size but not all feet are the same and fits can vary. In terms of support, the Witness III PRM has a relatively wide base and if you consider the fact that the patent leather strip that’s been added to the shoe keeps your foot on the footbed, you’re sure to have good support at all times when using the shoe.
The Nike LeBron Witness III PRM’s Patent Leather Overlay.
To sum it all up, the Witness III PRM is a basketball shoe that’s made the most out of what its materials have to offer. Because of this, the shoe is equipped with great traction, good durability and responsive cushioning.
Add the fact that it’s a relatively cheaper model at a price of P 5,495, the Nike LeBron Witness III PRM is definitely a shoe that you would want to grab for hooping this summer.
What do you think of the Witness III PRM? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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