27-08-2008

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New Photos of the Olympic Nike Zoom LeBron VI ‘UWR’ »

In anticipation of the Zoom LeBron VI release we give you another look at the ‘United We Rise‘ version. After the practice shots from Beijing and the catalog image from Nike it’s time for another installment courtesy of chengyang. As we reported earlier the Olympic ZL6 is said to be released in limited fashion and according to our sources it will happen in about a month, but things are still in motion so keep checking back as it’s not set in stone yet. The VI is all about the looks as according to LeBron James and Ken Link – lead designer of LeBron’s line – the casual friendly approach is back this year. After the first two colorways looks like they did focus on the appeal and the LeBrons are never poor in terms of performance so it might be the winning combination. This time the core technology used to support LeBron’s stature is double Zoom Air unit for cushioning and Carbon-fiber cup in the heel for stability. UPDATE: new photos added. Click the ‘Read the rest of this entry’ link below too see more.

The “Nike We the People Graphic” draws inspiration from a number of cultural elements and design influences to create a bold aesthetic specific to the USA. The graphic, created by Design Director Mark Smith, leverages Nike’s Aerographics technology. With Aerographics, Nike designers are able to incorporate mesh directly into a garment without any extra materials or added weight. Both the “Nike We the People Graphic” and Aerographics technology are highlighted in the 2008 USA Basketball, Track and Field, Softball and BMX team uniforms. When creating the graphic, Nike designers were drawn to tattoos as the first point of inspiration, specifically looking at how the graphic design could align directly to the athlete’s body. The multi-faceted graphic tells the story of many cultures coming together under the common theme of victory. Just like a tattoo on the body, the pattern of the graphic is darker than the base color surrounding it. Specific elements of the design include:

• The Statue of Liberty, represented by the torch
• Stars and stripes representing the 50 American states
• The date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
• Decorative elements from our nations’ currency
• The olive branch and arrows from the talons of the American eagle in the Presidential seal
• Celtic, African and Native American symbols and influences
• A bleeding heart representing Hispanic culture