An Inside Look at Lebron James’ Favorite Basketball Shoe to Date, NIKE LEBRON 15
Jason Petrie, the NIKE designer who has worked with basketball superstar LeBron James for more than a decade. the duo has been responsible for the design of each of the athlete’s signature shoes from the 7 on, as well as contributing to the LEBRON soldier series. unveiled at the start of the 2017-18 season, the LEBRON 15 celebrates James’ 15th year in the NBA and seeks to push the boundaries of a basketball shoe further than ever.
the LEBRON 15 features a brand new upper and a powerful combination of cushioning designed to meet the demands of today’s most explosive players. ‘this new iteration of flyknit, NIKE BattleKnit, is built specifically for LeBron,’ explains Jason Petrie. ‘he needed something more than what knit uppers, to date, could provide for him structurally and also in the way that he wanted it to come to life.’ to develop the shoe to LeBron’s requirements, Petrie and his team realized they had to manufacture the material in a completely different way — a move that resulted in a range of new possibilities.
‘the main benefits we were looking for were containment and strength, but we also needed the things that are great about flyknit: fit, a dialed design, and less waste,’ continues Petrie. through realizing the knit as essentially one fabric part, the design team was able to engineer the shoe to exact specifications, in terms of protection, stretch, and performance. ‘it’s an all-in-one package that allows LeBron to feel locked down, feel protected and also be able to move freely to dictate the action on the court and to respond and react when he needs,’ adds the NIKE designer.
The shoes are available now for $184.99
