Hello fellow shoe lovers,
This past weekend I was out shopping for my birthday present and I entered my local Finish Line to check out the latest display of kicks. I came across a few different styles I liked and then like a semi truck hitting a brick wall I was stopped in my tracks.
A little back story before that moment, I had been following the creation, so to speak, of the Lebron 9 ever since it was first announced. I have always been a fan Nike’s Lebron line until last year with the release of the Lebron 8, PS, and V/2. So naturally, I was pretty excited about a brand new full redesign of the Lebron 9. Hours turn to days, days to weeks, weeks to months and then the first photos of the 9 are released. My face instantly puckers up as if I was drinking straight lime juice. I had such high hopes for this shoe and abruptly they are shot down. As soon as I see the image I go to my favorite footwear blog, Nice Kicks, and bash the shoe down into the mud. Over the course of the next month several more images are released along with multiple colorways. My hatred for the shoe is still quite high but at the same time with each image it slowly and I mean SLOWLY starts to grow on me. By the time the shoe releases I get to the point where I say, “I will check it out in the stores and if it straight I will probably pick it up.” However that turned out to be an epic fail!
Rewinding back to the mall …
It was October 29, the day of my birth and I walk down to the Finish Line to check out what they had in stock. I wear a 14 so I have to go to a specific part of the store where bigger sizes are located. I am scanning the shoes and BAM the Lebron 9′s hit my eye. However, this is where I was fooled. This shoe has one of the best profiles of any shoe that was located on the shelf. From the side this shoe looks aggressive, bold, and an easy eye catcher. As soon as I took that shoe into my hand and turned it to the other side I threw up in my mouth. The inner side, where the arch is located, looked like a tortilla. There was no structure for the arch section of the foot. I knew if I stuck my fairly large foot in that shoe it would be the muffin top of the shoe world. I immediately put the shoe down and went about my day.
Thoughts of the Lebron 9:
As a designer myself I really believe Jason Petrie, Lebron 9 Designer, has good intentions with his designs. But I believe that sometimes the new technology that is implemented by Nike is overplayed on certain signature shoes. For instance on the Lebron 9 the whole arch is a flywire panel. Yes, it is a durable technology and does add reinforcement but in no way does it add vital arch support. My main problem with the finished design of the Lebron 9 was busyness. I feel like I always reference the Lebron 7 but I believe it embodied the best design thus far for the Lebron line. It was simple but still read performance where as the Lebron 9 shows you the complicated mechanical workings of how performance works. On the other note I do like the look of the materials used in the shoe. It does give it depth and a great texture. If you are a die-hard Lebron fan then these are a sure pick up. Or if you are looking for something to ball in, then I would recommend the Hyperfuse over these. Collectors just sit back and wait for the Lebron 10′s like me.
Images courtesy of Nice Kicks
Thanks for reading.
