The sneaker industry in the 20th Century has created legends out of some individuals who originally operated behind the scenes who are now enjoying a bit of a celebrity status. Guys like Michael Jordan, Tinker Hatfield, and Foot Locker Inc. CEO Ken Hicks have all made major moves in making the sneaker game a global affair, but there are some newer names to this exclusive group that deserve the props for their influence; designers like Jason Petrie and Robbie Fuller as well as brand directors like Jon Wexler of adidas and Todd Krinsky have all played major roles in driving the success of this culture, so check out some of the notable names of the bunch picked out below and see the list of the 25 Most Powerful People in Sneakers in its entirety on Complex.

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Inside the Nike Basketball design studios, performance is everything. Every move and decision is made with maximum performance in mind, including the actual visual look of the shoes created within. The pursuit of ultimate functionality determines not only how a shoe performs and feels on your foot, but in many cases, it also dictates a lot of the aesthetic choices as well. Once the shoe has been fully developed and engineered to it’s full potential, it’s time for the color, graphics and materials team to further bring the products to life with a variety of color splashes and palettes to help to tell certain stories and give some additional identity to each colorway.

Yesterday, in part 1 of our Nike Basketball Elite Series interview with Nike Bball designers Jason Petrie and Leo Chang, we got the full lowdown on the technical updates made to each of the three models to upgrade from their original forms into this super premium postseason-inspired collection. Now we take a deeper look at why the Elite Series looks the way it does, from its shapes, lines and materials to the various color schemes and the stories behind them. Continue reading for all you wanted to know about the Nike Basketball Elite Series aesthetics and colorways, and be on the look out for the home and away versions of all three models hitting retailers this Saturday, April 28th.

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Many sneaker fanatics and aficionados never take into consideration the painstaking efforts that go into creating the shoes that they love. The design process can be a tedious one, especially when you consider all of the factors that can sometimes tie a designer’s hands. One of the largest stumbling blocks is the need to keep materials and costs manageable in order to ensure that the final product is affordable for consumers and profitable for the brand. While we’d all love to see our Nike’s loaded up with large Air Max bags, full-length Zoom units, carbon fiber, foam and all those other costly amenities, the bottom line is that these coveted luxuries can often drive pricepoints out of control, urging the need for more cost-effective material options in their place.

But what would happen if Nike completely unchained the leash and opened the premium floodgates in the name of the ultimate performance basketball footwear? The answer is the Nike Basketball Elite Series, a no holds barred assault on the conventional design process and the budgeting limitations that can so often hold it back. For Nike Basketball designers Jason Petrie and Leo Chang, the Elite Series project is like a dream come true. With pricepoint constraints thrown out the window, the gloves were finally off to go out and reach for the pinnacle of performance basketball footwear glory. That kind of freedom doesn’t come along very often for most footwear designers, and when it does, it’s accompanied by a responsibility to meet lofty expectations.

For Jason, Leo and the rest of the Nike BBall team, the solution was to go back to the beginning to analyze and evaluate every aspect of each existing model to determine each and every place where performance could be enhanced. Materials were added, removed, invented, tweaked and shaved down, making the shoes lighter and stronger, as well as more responsive and comfortable, all in the name of providing NBA athletes and the consumers who buy the shoes with the ultimate option for the rigorous post season push. Right down to the types of threads that are woven into the laces and the sticky grips that contour to your step on the footbed, every possible detail has been considered and tailored to maximize the overall function of the shoe. The price tags might seem a bit high when you see these hit stores this weekend, but you get what you pay for and the Nike Basketball Elite Series has just raised the bar for what performance luxury can mean to a sneaker.

Continue reading for part 1 of our interview with Jason Petrie and Leo Chang and check back tomorrow for the follow-up featuring everything you need to know about upcoming Elite Series colorways.

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A sudden snowfall hit the Oregon area (a region that almost never gets any of the white goodness) and UofO students enjoyed the delayed midterm schedule while Nike designer Jason Petrie peered out at the ‘winter wonderland’ from the comfort of his office chair. While he tweeted his desire to be ‘boarding on Mt. Hood, we sneakerheads were caught agaze at the Nike LeBron samples lined up along the window sills of his office. A quick viewing and you’ll spot a ‘Miami Dolphins’ colorway of the Nike LeBron 8 V/2 Low, the LeBron VII Cleats on the far left, a trio of ‘Volt’-ed out LeBrons, and a blazing-hot orange/blue at the very top. Quite a sight to see, but we know Jason’s got a lot more to show off (hint, hint), so check out some close-up shots of these never-before-seen samples below and let us know what catches your eye the most!

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What makes the Nike LeBron such a ‘collectable’ shoe is that alongside all the sick releases, there are as many, if not more, samples and PE colorways that are hiding in the closets of Nike HQ. On such sample is this Black, Blue, and Yellow colorway of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, modeled after one of LeBron’s favorite magazine covers; in 2008, LeBron was on the cover of Fortune 25 magazine – a cover that served as the inspiration of this sample. These won’t ever release, but Jason Petrie, the designer of the Nike LeBron series from VII -present, just gave us a nice little glimpse at what other sick joints we might never even see. Check out the extra image below as well as a picture of the cover in question and let us know what you think.

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If Jason Petrie wasn’t designing LeBron’s sneakers for Nike, there’s a good chance he’d be on a computer somewhere surfing the sneaker sites for a look at the latest kicks, just like you. As a matter of fact, Jason is still doing that anyway, because unlike many of his trailblazing design predecessors at Nike, he has grown up living and breathing not only design, but also the history and culture surrounding the sneaker game. When Bruce Kilgore was drafting up the Air Force 1 and Tinker Hatfield was designing just about every other classic Nike shoe you love, there really was no tangible sneaker culture, no such word as “sneakerhead” and nowhere near the exchange of information that we see today in the internet age. Those pioneers created shoes that attracted a ravenous fanbase of Swoosh-crazed consumers, and as a result, paved the way for a new wave of creative forces that are now rising to prominence in the sneaker industry. Jason Petrie is one of the leaders of this bold new generation of Nike designers, equipped with not only the necessary technical skills, but just as important, an understanding of the game and an impassioned reverence for the sneaker masterpieces that came before them. Shoes for the people, by the people.

Petrie approaches his work with his finger firmly on the pulse and a humble appreciation for those who spend their hard earned money on the shoes that he brings to life. As lead designer for the Nike LeBron line, he has been entrusted with one of the brand’s hottest commodities and no one takes that responsibility more seriously. With two huge hits under his belt with the LeBron 7 and 8, the pressure is only getting greater every time he sits down to develop the next shoe. As with the previous two, the LeBron 9 was not immediately embraced by the always scrutinous sneaker community, but just like with the others, it didn’t seem to take long for people to come around. We recently sat down with Jason to chat about the NBA lockout, South Beach resale prices and of course, the Nike LeBron 9. Keep reading for the full interview, featuring some juicy LeBron 9 sample pics and some interesting insight into why the LeBron 9 is designed like an odd number and how early versions of the shoe featured Foamposite on the upper!

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Jason Petrie has been one of the more community-involved Nike designers in recent memory. They guy loves his craft, and more importantly, loves to discuss his role in creating the most advanced basketball shoe Nike has to offer. He recently made himself available for a lengthy online video chat, answering questions directly from Nike LeBron fans. In addition to providing some poignant responses to some great questions regarding the shoe’s performance and comfort as well as LeBron’s involvement in the process, Jason Petrie showed off a few unreleased Nike LeBron 9 colorways, like the Nike LeBron 9 ‘Kentucky’ and the Nike LeBron 9 ‘Miami Nights’, which Sneaker News gave you a first look at. Also featured during the chat session were a few preliminary samples, like the Z-Core sample ,which Petrie describes as the first step in materialization of the shoe, and a full-length 360-Air sample. Continue reading for a look at all that was shown in the video and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for all Nike LeBron 9 updates.

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