Nice Kicks: So, you are a Los Angeles-based artist and you went to UCLA. Which part of the LA Series holds a special place in your heart?

Erick Goto: I did grow up in East LA, so that would be my default answer. But, I do see something cool in each shoe. Orange County is the bold color expression, East LA is all about the pride for my city, and Hollywood is about my love for media and design.

Nice Kicks: Why was the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low chosen to accompany the LA Series Kobe VI colorways instead of other Nike Basketball models such as the Nike Air Max Fly By, the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse and the Nike Hyperdunk 2010?

Erick Goto: The Hyperfuse Low was chosen because it’s the perfect shoe to rock on and off the court. Comfort, great construction and a really color-friendly silhouette were all reasons we wanted to execute on this shoe. Also, it looks great with a pair of shorts! Summertime is right around the corner!

“I do see something cool in each shoe. Orange County is the bold color expression, East LA is all about pride for my city and Hollywood is about my love for media and design.” – Erick Goto

Nice Kicks: Last year, we saw a rustic wood-grain pattern grace all of the Nike Basketball shoes in the All Star series representing Texas. This year, the three signatures, Lebron 8 V2, Kobe VI, and KD III, all feature a lenticular, hologram material. Does this material have a tieback story to LA? What made you go in this direction for the 2011 All-Star Collection?

Erick Goto: Well, there are number of reasons we gravitated towards this direction.. In terms of connecting to LA, the lenticular is somewhat of an extension of what we did with the 3D shoe. We wanted to stress the theme of “visual effects”. In terms of using it in performance shoes, it’s a material that we haven’t really executed on our silhouettes, and it makes the shoe look like it’s constantly in motion. You’ll notice that we have reinforced the notion of a color shifting property by adding some organic gradients in the uppers of the Kobe and Lebron. We have to maintain performance integrity, but we achieved the look with sublimation.

Nice Kicks: Have you heard any of the reactions of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James on these designs?

Erick Goto: I’ve only heard about KD’s reaction. He thought they were fire!

Click here to check out detailed photos of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI “LA” Series