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This past weekend, Nice Kicks traveled to Miami, Florida to participate in the exclusive Nike LeBron 8 Media Briefing & Wear-Test Event. One part of the two-day event was an invite to game 1 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat matchup, however, we, along with a select group of others, participated in a wear testing/launch event of King James’ Nike LeBron 8 PS.
Nike LeBron 8 Designer Jason Petrie met us in the Miami Heat locker room and discussed the evolution of the Nike LeBron 8 three-sneaker series. Petrie stated that he and LeBron James began discussion on the Nike LeBron 8 right after the 2010 NBA playoffs. The actual concept of having three different designs for James’ eighth signature shoe was inspired by James’ outlook on an NBA season.
“LeBron James really looks at the season in two buckets: there is an 82-game marathon and there’s the 28-game sprint at the end of the season,” said Jason Petrie. “If you think about a marathoner’s shoes and a sprinter’s shoes, they’re drastically different. So, the key was seeing how we can bring that notion to his line.”
Jason Petrie kicked off the discussion by breaking down the three-sneaker concept into a thought process of “Ignite, Attack and Finish.” Specifically, Petrie compared this concept to a lion and how it hunts prey.
“We started looking at a lion, how it feeds and comparing it to how LeBron goes through a season,” Petrie stated. “You know, a lion stalks on the edge of the Savannah, spots his prey, jets after it and then sinks his claws in. It’s three different distinct moments in that chase which is very similar to a chase for a championship.”
Petrie also likened the concept to the transformation of automobiles by using the example of three different Lamborghini Gallardo models. He specifically stated that V1 was created for LeBron James to come into his new surroundings fully equipped with elements such as support, his beloved 360 degree air bag and everything he needs to protect himself. As for the V2, it was created to give LeBron James an extra advantage by way of a lighter constructed shoe. “We wanted it to put a little extra pep in his step for the last 41 games of the regular season,” said Petrie. Lastly, the Nike LeBron 8 PS was designed for the “sprint” section of the season. Therefore, Nike created the lightest and most breathable of the three for James to wear in the postseason. Besides being the lightest and most breathable of the three, the LeBron 8 PS also features Nike’s new Hyperfuse technology and possesses a 180 Air Max unit instead of the full-length unit seen in the V1 and V2.
Following Jason Petrie’s in-depth discussion, we hit the American Airlines Arena court and wear tested the LeBron 8 V2 and LeBron 8 PS with former NBA star Kenny Anderson. In detail, we ran a few drills in the V2 and scrimmaged amongst each other in the LeBron 8 PS. Check out our full photo recap of the Nike LeBron 8 Media Briefing & Wear-Test event below.
