Today Nike officially unveiled the newest shoe in the LeBron James signature line, the LeBron 9.
Designed from the ground up by Jason Petrie with input from LeBron himself, the LeBron 9 is the first basketball shoe to combine the use of Flywire and Hyperfuse technology. Additionally, like the PS shoes of past seasons, the LeBron 9 combines the cushioned comfort of Max Air 180 in the heel with the responsiveness of a Zoom unit in the forefoot.
As Jason Petrie explained, “From the very beginning of the design process for the LeBron 9 we wanted to break the mold with a shoe that maximized the strengths of a triple threat player like LeBron. LeBron brings a rare combination of speed, agility and force to the game and my goal is to outfit him in a shoe that lets him do what he does best while maximizing our superior innovations.”
In addition to the use of Flywire, Hyperfuse, Max Air 180, and Nike Zoom, the LeBron 9 is outfitted with a shank plate in the midsole, a woven textile on the wings, a cushioned inner collar inspired by Nike Pro Combat, and an asymmetrical lacing system. The outsole is designed with an outrigger for lateral stability, flex grooves, and a special pattern. Lastly, the LeBron 9 includes his new logo and his signature on the ventilated tongue.
The Nike LeBron 9 will be available in China beginning October 1 and will make its debut in the U.S. with a limited “Cannon” colorway dropping on October 15, with select college colorways launching October 14. The primary black/red/white colorway is slated to launch on October 25.
This also marks the first time LeBron’s signature shoe will be available for customization through NIKEiD. The shoe can be previewed with full options beginning October 11 and purchased beginning October 25. There will also be 3 limited edition LeBron 9 packs available only through NIKEiD.
Finally, Nike and 2K Sports have partnered to integrate the LeBron 9 within NBA 2K12. The shoe will release within the videogame in unison with retailers, with additional colorways launching throughout the season.
