LeBron's Soldier Line's Legacy LeBron would score the game's last 25 points while wearing the Zoom Soldier, leading his team to a double-overtime victory. "Everything was centered on providing LeBron lockdown, so we created a shoe entirely based on that, giving him this perfectly protected, contained force for his feet." - Tom Sartore, creative director of Nike Basketball. When Nike introduced the Zoom Soldier Edition in 2003, it became one of the first basketball shoes to incorporate some form of technology. The idea came from former NBA player and coach Chuck Daly who wanted to give athletes something more protective to wear under their uniforms. He developed the concept for Nike which brought it to life with the help of legendary artist Michael Jordan. The result was one of the most popular basketball sneakers of all time with over $100 million in sales in its first year. The Zoom Soldier features a multi-density foam core shell with carbon fiber reinforcement where necessary. The material is designed to be lightweight while still providing adequate support for playing basketball. The addition of metal spikes on the outsole completes the design of this classic Nike shoe. In 2004, Nike launched another version of the Zoom Soldier called the Zoom Soldier XL. It included a larger size sole which could accommodate bigger feet. This model was also available in children's sizes. In 2005, Nike updated the Zoom Soldier again with new colors and materials.