Live Look: Nike Air Max LeBron X Low “Violet Force”
Another Nike LeBron X Low is set to release this weekend, and it draws similarities to previous LeBron colorways. Draped in a Violet Force upper, the sneaker features complimentary Pure Platinum branding and a Volt outsole. Look for the “Violet Force” LeBron X Low to release on May 25, 2013 at the 5 price tag at Nike Basketball retailers, including Nice Kicks. Check out the Live Look below and let us know if these are on your list of kicks to cop.
Nike LeBron X (10) Elite White/Black Speckle PE
With the Eastern Conference Finals finally underway, the Miami Heat took Game 1 on their home floor in an overtime thriller down in South Beach last night. Though the Pacers put forth a valiant effort, it was the King and his crew who raised their hands in victory when it was all said and done.
For all the sneakerheads who were watching the game, you may have been paying close attention to the kicks LeBron decided to lace up for Game 1. Wonder no more, for we have some nice action shots after the jump of LeBron rocking a pair of white/black speckle Nike LeBron X Elite PE’s.
With subtle hints of red most prominently found up near the lacing system, this pair of PE’s is a lot more simple in design as opposed to some of the other models we’ve seen King James rock. The simplified white on black colorway, accompanied by the speckled panels and midsole, flows rather nicely about the Nike LeBron X Elite silhouette.
Keep Reading after the jump to see some nice photos of LeBron in action rocking the aforementioned kicks. Would you sneakerheads like to see these go retail or are they served best as a one-of-one pair of PE’s?
Via ESPN
LeBron James Tops All Current NBA Players In Sneaker Sales
Looks like LeBron James is winning off the court as well as on it. After winning an NBA Championship, an MVP award (his 4th), and a Gold Medal at the Olympics (his 2nd), all in 2012, it’s become clear that LBJ is crushing the competition on the hardwood. However, with last year’s sneaker sales numbers coming in recently, showing LeBron outsold Kobe Bryant – his nearest competitor – by a 6 to 1 ratio, he’s also crushing his competitors at the mall.
King James sold 0 million worth of sneakers for Nike in 2012, doubling the profits earned by James one year earlier. That’s quite a jump, friends. After spurning adidas for Nike in 2003 (which must have given adidas reps flashbacks worthy of a Viet Nam vet, as you’ll remember Michael Jordan did the same thing in 1984), signing a 7-year/ Million contract, James’ shoes didn’t immediately take off with the buying public, nor with sneakerheads; it wasn’t until the LeBron VI that Nike came up with a winner, as it was, according to SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell, the “first really good looking shoe” in his signature series. Since then, LeBron’s kicks have been selling at a brisk pace, even more so once the “South Beach” LeBron VIII hit shelves and took LBJ Madness to JB proportions.
As mentioned above, Kobe Bryant was the second highest earner when it comes to NBAers still playing the game, clearing Mil in sales with his Nike Kobe 8 System. Another guy that spurned adidas for Nike, after sporting the 3 Stripes brand for the first 6 years of his career, his numbers for 2012, while impressive when compared to the other NBA stars with their own shoe, actually dropped from the year before. With the Kobe System 8 set to release in a several dope colorways later this year (“Mambacurial”, anyone?), and having released already in a few sick versions (“Easter” was my personal fav this year), Bryant looks to do similar numbers in 2013. Bryant also does big numbers in Asia, particularly China, where he is the Number 1 NBAer where shoe sales are concerned, which helps fill the Bryant family’s coffers. Those Asians love the Black Mamba!
The first Jordan Brand representative to crack the Top 5, at number 3, is Carmelo Anthony, with his Jordan Melo M9 helping him clear Mil in 2012. This is a bit surprising, considering that Kevin Durant, another Nike guy, and his sneakers get much more publicity than Carmelo’s Jordan Brand kicks. Durant, conversely, takes up the 4th spot, with his KD signature line helping him tally Mil in sales for 2012. As Durant’s sneakers have started gaining more popularity in the last couple years, he definitely looks to make a bigger impact in 2013, possibly moving into the Top 3, thanks to his KD V and the numerous dope colorways released in 2012 (the “DMV” and “Christmas” iterations come to mind).
Rounding out the Top 5 is adidas’ golden boy Derrick Rose, the lone non-Nike representative to crack the list. After signing a groundbreaking 14-year extension with the brand that signed him as a rookie, Rose is set to make around 0 Mil, with a deal that will most likely keep him with the brand started by Adi Dassler for the rest of his career. Even though a torn ACL, suffered during the first game of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, kept him off the court for the entire 2012-2013 NBA season, his shoes still managed to sell Mil, which is pretty impressive. Still, it’ll be a minute before he nears the status of his Nike competitors, and light-years before his adidas cohorts Dwight Howard and newly-signed John Wall start competing financially, as Howard and Wall’s 2012 sales combined are only 3% of what LeBron James sold alone.
Before you think King James is truly the king of the signature-shoe mountain, remember that this was a list of the Top 5 current NBA players, which is why MJ isn’t in the Top 5. If you thought 0 Mill was a stout number, try on Billion for size, as that’s what Jordan Brand sold in 2012, according the SportsOneSource. With an estimated growth of 25 to 30% globally in 2012, MJ’s company is still getting bigger, and with a royalty agreement in place with Nike, he’s earning more than Mil annually from the sale of shoes with his name on them. So, the current crop of NBA superstars still have a long way to go before they can claim, to quote Kanye West (another superstar looking to bring his shoes to “Air Jordan” status), that they’ve “jumped over the Jumpman”.
Take a look at the Top 5 NBAers’ current signature shoe after the jump, and let us know what your favorite signature shoe is, and if that shoe belongs to your favorite player.
LeBron James in the Nike LeBron X Elite
Kobe Bryant in the Nike Kobe System 8
Carmelo Anthony in the Jordan Melo M9
Kevin Durant in the Nike KD V
Derrick Rose in the adidas Rose 3.5
Via Forbes.com
Kicks On Court: King James Scores Game Winner in White/Black ‘Speckle’ LeBron X Elite
It seems as if LeBron James debuts a new shoe every single playoff game. Specifically, he’s worn seven different shoes in Miami’s 10 playoff games this postseason. His latest debut came in the form of a never-before-seen, black and white Nike LeBron X Elite PE in Game 1 of the Pacers vs. Heat series. The distinctive element of this LeBron X Elite is a black and white speckled element that is seen throughout the entire midsole and side panels. View multiple, detailed shots of this Elite PE in addition to LeBron’s game winner, in today’s Kicks On Court edition.
LeBron James facing up in a ‘speckle’ Nike LeBron X Elite
LeBron James’ ‘Speckle’ Nike LeBron X Elite PE
LeBron James scoring the overtime winner in a ‘Speckle’ Nike LeBron X Elite PE
LeBron James’ ‘Speckle’ Nike LeBron X Elite PE
LeBron James and Paul George in a ‘Speckle’ Nike LeBron X Elite PE and a Nike Hyperdunk 2012 PE, respectively
Euro Release Update: Nike LeBron X (10) EXT QS
For sneakerheads who have been awaiting some sort of release update in regards to any of the Nike LeBron X EXT’s. After countless switches in release information, we’ve finally got some concrete release information to share with all you sneakerheads.
The Nike LeBron X “Black/Mint”, the Nike LeBron X “Denim” and the Nike LeBron X “Brown Suede” will be arriving at European shops next month. Set to release first is the “Black/Mint” colorway which is tentatively scheduled to release on June 10th with the “Denim” pair set to arrive on June 22nd and the “Brown Suede” pair penciled in for a July 6th release.
Keep reading after the jump to see a few more shots of each pair of the aforementioned kicks and be sure to keep rocking with SneakerFiles for updates regarding U.S. release information. In case you may want to get your hands on these a little earlier, ronimo1989 on eBay has these available for purchase right now.
Nike LeBron X EXT “Black Suede”
Black/Black-Dark Field Brown-Tourmaline
607078-001
06/10/13
Nike LeBron X EXT “Denim”
Midnight Navy/Midnight Navy-Hazelnut-Fireberry
597806-400
06/22/13
Nike LeBron X EXT “Brown Suede”
Suede Brown/Suede Brown-Sea Royal-White
607078-200
07/06/13
Via End Clothing
Nike LeBron XI First Look
While the Nike LeBron X is still a hot seller, images have surfaced of what may possibly be the Nike LeBron XI. Previewed on Instagram thanks to @mavcarter, the LeBron XI looks like something straight out of a Sci-Fi film. In turn, not much is known in terms of materials used, construction or added performance features. Stay tuned to Nice Kicks for all the latest information pertaining to the Nike LeBron XI.
“Miami Heat” Nike LeBron XI (11)
The LeBron XI flood gates are officially open. You’ve already seen both the “Steel Carbon” sample pair on the Kings feet during practice along with a second pair we shared with you earlier. This time around, we have your first look at you guessed it, the “Miami Heat” Nike LeBron XI.
This latest Bron XI colorway sports a punchy red Armorposite plating with touches of black to complete the rest of the upper. With each pair of LeBron XI’s, we see just how different these are in comparison to previous signature models. Noticeably absent from this model, that was a key design aspect for the LeBron X model, is the small portion of the shoe that told a story about the particular colorway.
In any event, this is yet another of the five colorways that are expected to release this October. We’ve got a few pics to share with all you sneakerheads so you can further acclimate yourselves with whats to come. Check them out and let us know how you feel about the Nike LeBron XI line thus far.
Via D9Reserve
Concept or Legit? | Lebron XI (11) “Steel Carbon”
A while back, some photos were floating around predicting that the photos of the supposed Lebron XI’s (11) could be the next shoe to be released within the series. Well, those predictions may be correct due to the fact that Lebron James actually wore the sample kicks during practice. The 11′s could have been modeled after the the Bat-mobile in the Batman movies because Lebron’s favorite movie is in fact “The Dark Knight”. From the bottom-up, the sneaker does not look bad at all. The whole base itself is reinforced with Armorposite, which is Foamposite technology. The sneaker is also packed with a Lunarlon midsole and an Air Max cushioning system. The strap has a small resemblance to the KD 4′s but still makes a great addition toward the shoe. The toe of the XI’s seem no different from the Lebron IX series. The way this sneaker is built, it is going to be very difficult to get dirty or scuffed. Regardless, these kicks will not stay in brand new condition if worn for clubbing. So stick to rocking the heat on the streets.
From looking at the image above, we can see that Nike has already planned out the next five lineups for the Lebron XI color-ways. The expected release for the new series is around October of this year. So maybe Nike is right about having the most ambitious project with lightweight performance innovation. Only one way to find out and that is unfortunately to wait. What are your thoughts about the XI’s? Cop or pass?
Via SOURCE
Nike LeBron X “Invictus” Custom by Chef of GourmetKickz
Sneaker customizing guru Chef of GourmetKickz has whipped up yet another incredible pair of custom Nike Lebron X’s.
If you ever wondered what the “BHM” colorway form last years Nike LeBron 9 would look like on the Nike Lebron X silhouette, Chef has emerged from his custom kitchen with a special treat for you all. Fresh out the oven is the Nike LeBron X “Invictus X” custom, a sneaker that also sports a dope chunky metal lion-head lacelock.
Provided after the jump are some detailed shots of Chef’s latest body of work. Make sure they check them out and share your thoughts on them below.
Via Chef of GourmetKickz
