In the past year, sneakers have evolved into more than just a foreign commodity that says “Made in China.” Sneakers have developed a new meaning to their owners, allowing them to express themselves. In the season opener against the Celtics, Lebron James debuted a new pair of sneakers. James’ sneakers were a charcoaled black model of the Lebron XV that displayed the word “Equality” in gold. James was trying to make a statement. The feature of the shoe comes after Nike released its “Equality” commercial, which featured stars like Serena Williams. Kevin Durant, Lebron, and Abby Wambach. Their message was simple; diversity must be valued, hate shouldn’t be. People have reacted strongly to Lebron’s sudden desire to join the movement for equality.

“Looks like Lebron having equality on his shoes is the only protest they gonna participate in” (sic)

According to this fan’s tweet, this is the only social issue that the NBA is taking part in. Instead of being happy that an athlete of such platform is showing his appreciation for the cause, many are starting to change their opinion of Lebron for the dilemma.