Step into the Design of the Nike LeBron 15 With Jason Petrie

I miss the good old days when we got to witness the full shoe launch experience, which included multiple commercials, full-day launch events for the press, and my personal favorite… interviews with the designers. It’s funny when you think about it because it was much more difficult 10 years ago. The Internet was at a different stage, social media was pretty much non-existent apart from forums and blogs. Yet somehow it was easier to find full-res pics of kicks… even the samples.

It’s obvious we live in the different era with how Nike handled the unveiling of the Nike LeBron 15. First the shoe was showcased behind the scenes in China, but nobody really knew about it. Then it was “Team LeBron”, a group of people close to King James, and the man himself hitting the runway during the New York Fashion Week with Kith. Then there’s the official press release with one great angled photo and zero release information apart from saying “coming soon.”

Now as we backtrack the origins of the LeBron Asia Tour, which included Jason Petrie, the lead designer behind the Nike LeBron 15, we finally dug up some juicy details. First and foremost the early stage sample was much different from what we see now. It included a regular Flyknit upper and old Hexagon Zoom Air cushioning. As you can see below it wasn’t as sturdy as the final design. The aesthetics were also less appealing with a big Nike swoosh on the side compared to a well-thought placement on the back of the shoe in the production version. Finally, there’s the cushioning. The LeBron 15 Zoom + Max combo is basically an evolution of the LeBron 10 full length Zoom Air. It was enriched by additional experience gathered during the Hexagon Zoom era (LeBron 12-14). It’s supposed to offer the same comfort level as the 10, but with much more flexibility and better court feel.

LeBron James must like the end result very much. “This is my favorite shoe to date,” says James. “The performance benefits and sophisticated look make this shoe a force on and off the court. The number-one thing people should know about the LEBRON 15 is that this new Nike Flyknit is something that’s never been done in a performance shoe,” notes James. “It looks great, too. Since Jason and I started working on the LEBRON VII, we have always talked about how we not only want to have the top, top, top notch in performance, we want style, as well. We have a desire to create shoes that makes all people feel good when they put it on.”