Nike LeBron 16 'Equality' Photos and Release Date Revealed

The special "Equality" edition of Nike's LeBron 16 basketball shoe is set to get released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will be celebrated Jan. 21.

B/R Kicks provided an early look at the latest sneaker from LeBron James and Nike:

Last January, James told reporters he felt a responsibility to help continue the conversation about race at the forefront of the American discourse in honor of King:

"It's not a sprint, so it doesn't bother me. It's not a sprint, this is a marathon. You know, the state of racism will never die, but what we cannot do is allow it to conquer us as people. We can't allow it to divide us. Like I said, the guy in control has given people and racism, and negative racism, an opportunity to be out and outspoken without fear. And that's the fearful thing for us because it's with you, and it's around every day, but [President Donald Trump] has allowed people to just come out and feel confident about doing negative things."

The four-time NBA MVP added: "Hopefully I would be one of those guys that made [King] proud. Hopefully I'm making him proud still with him looking down on us."

His respect for the King legacy adds to the importance of the "Equality" release date. They are symbolic, with one white shoe and one black shoe with laces of the opposite color.

James' Los Angeles Lakers are also in action Jan. 21 against the Golden State Warriors. While it's unclear whether he'll return from a groin injury in time for that high-profile contest, at the least he'll probably be rocking the new design on the sideline.