Brendan Dunne 
11 Days of Nike LeBron continues with the most controversial installment of LeBron’s signature sneaker line – the 8. The shoe arrived right after LeBron’s decision to leave his hometown Cleveland for sunny Miami, joining the likes of D-Wade and Chris Bosh in an effort to create a magnificent trio with dreams of multiple NBA titles. The superstar’s reputation took a considerable hit as the rising star was the subject of criticism for his supposed “betrayal”, forcing him to take on a bit of a villain-like role as he began lacing up his kicks in another arena. The sneaker, however, was a hit, much in part to do Nike’s flamboyant “South Beach” colorway, which altered the horizon of sneaker colorways for years to come.
Read: 11 Days of Nike LeBron
In addition to South Beach madness, the LeBron 8 was responsible for creating the “phase” concept, with the lighter V2 trim and the Hyperfuse-built PS edition telling the story of LeBron’s evolving game in relation to the long NBA season. A bevy of colorways in both GR and PE form made the LeBron 8 a hot item, but it was the aforementioned “South Beach” colorway that stood as the representative for this incredible sneaker. Do you own the South Beach LeBrons? If not, which is your favorite? Check out some of the choice colorways below and stay tuned for the ongoing series called 11 Days of Nike LeBron.
