As we’re closing in on the start of the NBA season later this month, Nike is officially unveiling a historic moment: LeBron James‘ 10th signature sneaker. Courtesy of our friends at Nike Basketball, I had a chance last week to spend some time with a few of the Xs that have since dropped – the “Crown Jewels” and the “USA” joints. As I wrote, each release in the line this year, which Nike says will probably be every few weeks or so, will have a theme in that it’ll be connected in some way to the idea of diamonds.
Heat, time and pressure are three things James has faced throughout his career, and they act as the shoe’s inspiration. Although a refined diamond is beautiful, it takes work to get there – it starts as a dull rock. Over time, it gains clarity and sharpens with multiple facets. You’ll see this intensely on the Nike+ colorways – the ones that’ll be dropping for $270 (the full Sport Pack) and for $200 (if you already own the Nike+ technology). The diamond shapes within the shoe will be noticeable and texturized beautiful, while the regular $180 retail releases won’t have as many of these added aspects.
Each colorway of the LeBron X also has a unique story. For the three in this post, the blue diamond colorway (it’s dropping Saturday) is symbolic of the blue tint diamonds gain from interaction with electricity. It represents LeBron’s electric style on the court. The cutting Jade colorway, which is getting up and down love from fans but I guarantee becomes one of the most hyped sneakers of the season, is inspired by the Chinese art of cutting jade using diamonds. The away colorway, the traditional black and red, will see a release at the end of October and has it’s own storyline woven into the diamond theme.
The details on the actual construction of the sneaker can be found here, but the highlights include a full-length, visible Nike Zoom unit on the midsole and a three-layered support system on the upper: a Hyperfuse constructed outer level, followed by Flywire technology that is strong yet dynamic and lightweight, providing an adaptive fit and excellent lockdown through the midfoot, and finally, an inner booty added for comfort and a secure fit.
Hit page 2 for more incredible photos of the Blue Diamond, Cutting Jade and Miami Away colorways…
Can LeBron’s sneaker line ever catch Michael Jordan’s?
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