Nike Air Max LeBron VII (7)

The Nike Air Max LeBron VII was released on October 4th, 2009 after a complete overhauling of previous Nike LeBron designs. For his seventh shoe, Nike started from scratch by utilizing new concepts, the latest Nike technology, and above all, an entirely different designer by the name of Jason Petrie, who had an impressive resume containing a number of successful Nike Basketball designs. Spearheading the LeBron VII project was a daunting task, given the success of the entire Nike LeBron legacy, but Petrie, working alongside LeBron James, managed to set the bar even higher by producing a basketball shoe both fit for LeBron and lovers of the sport worldwide.

A glaring change made during the LeBron VII design process was the use of Air Max cushioning. The previous six LeBron signatures along with the secondary designs such as the 20-5-5 and Zoom Soldier employed Zoom Air as the primary cushioning unit, so the switch was in other words a complete re-routing of the entire Nike LeBron line. For the VII, a sloping Air Max unit with a rear twice as thick as the forefoot was used as the base of the VII, and overall contained 80% more Air than the Air Max 360 Unit. In addition to the switch to Air Max was the implementation of Flywire on the upper panels, which considerably reduced the weight of the shoe without compromising stability.

Aside from a technological standpoint, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII was a standout in that it housed LeBron’s personal touches that might not be readily pinpointed. The Flywire panel contains 23 wires, representing LeBron’s number, and the five grooved outsoles are a reminder that it takes five players on the court to win. A select number of LeBron VIIs featured a 3D decoder key which revealed LeBron James’ personal values (Passion, Tradition, and Family are some examples), and were availabled on 1,023 limited edition pairs from the “More Than A Game” World Tour.

Overall, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII embodied LeBron James’ persona of maintaining a business-like attitude on the court while displaying his penchant for luxury off the court. The LeBron VII was an overall huge success, especially considering it had was rebuilt from the ground up. The VII serves as a worthy precedent to the future LeBron signature models which are sure to push the bar higher than ever before.

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GENERAL RELEASES

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Release Date: 10/24/2009 Color: White/Black-Varsity Red Style: 375664-102

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Release Date: 11/19/2009 Color: White/Midnight Navy-Varsity Red Style: 375664-111

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“Phantom” Release Date: 12/17/2009 Color: Black/Black Style: 375664-001

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Release Date: 01/08/2010 Color: White/Varsity Red (NFW -No Flywire) Style: 383578-161

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“Pinkfire – Big Kids” Release Date: 01/08/2010 Color: Black/Pinkfire Style: 375793-600

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Release Date: 02/16/2010 Color: Black/White-Metallic Gold Style: 375664-011

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“Cool Grey” Release Date: 03/xx/2010 Color: Cool Grey/Cool Grey-White Style: 375664-002

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EXCLUSIVES

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“Moon Cake / China Edition” Release Date: 10/16/2009 (10/3 for Asia) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold Style: 375664-113

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“Red Carpet” Release Date: 12/03/2009 Color: White/Black-Glass Blue-Chilling Red Style: 383578-101

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“Christmas Edition” Release Date: 12/26/2009 Color: Team Red/Metallic Silver-Black-Hot Red Style: 375664-600 Retail: $180.00

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“2010 All-Star” Release Date: 02/06/2010 Color: Chlorine Blue/Black-Copa Style: 375664-401

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“University of Akron” Release Date: 02/27/2010 Color: Midnight Navy/White-Metallic Gold Style: 375664-400

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“Eastbay Exclusive” Release Date: 03/05/2010 Color: Cool Grey/Orange Blaze-White Style: 393320-003

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“Eastbay Exclusive” Release Date: 03/05/2010 Color: Cool Grey/Varsity Red-White Style: 393320-002

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“Eastbay Exclusive” Release Date: 03/05/2010 Color: Cool Grey/Varsity Royal-White Style: 393320-001

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LEBRON VII ‘MORE THAN A GAME’ RELEASES

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“MTAG – Chicago” Release Date: 08/10/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-178 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Washington” Release Date: 08/13/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-171 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Akron” Release Date: 08/20/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-179 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Beijing” Release Date: 08/24/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-174 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Shengyang” Release Date: 08/26/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-170 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Shanghai” Release Date: 08/28/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-173 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Paris” Release Date: 09/01/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-172 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – London” Release Date: 09/04/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-176 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – New York” Release Date: 09/20/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-177 Retail: $200.00

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“MTAG – Los Angeles” Release Date: 09/28/2009 (123 Pairs) Color: White/White-Metallic Gold-Gorge Green Style: 375664-175