Nike‘s NBA All-Star Game offerings for 2012 are certainly taking things to infinity and beyond, both in the number of sneakers set to drop and in the inherent inspiration spread across the collection. The Nike LeBron 9 from the pack shown here manages the feat of being the brightest sneaker of the bunch, no easy task given the luminous looks the range is built on. Coming with the requisite glow in the dark soles on bottom, the upper is wrapped in a set of mango tones that will definitely light up the court come the All-Star game on February 26th. Luckily you’ll have the opportunity to lace up in them as well, as this pair is set to drop with the rest of the collection on Saturday, February 25th at select locations which include NikeStore online. Follow us after the jump for the high-res shots and be on the lookout for these on the feet of King James come All-Star time.

Release Date: February 25th, 2012 (Saturday)

Nike Basketball presents the limited edition 2012 Black History Month collection, featuring the Kobe VII System Supreme, Zoom KD IV and LeBron 9. All three shoes carry a dark grey base color, along with a signature graphic print made up of a rainbow of vivid colors inspired by international African culture, ranging from Kenyan beads to the Brazilian Carnivale to the Southern U.S.A. tradition of African-American quilt-making. The shoes themselves represent three of the NBA’s best and brightest: the champion with five rings, the chosen one who for whom a ring seems all but inevitable, and the unassuming phenom who may just overtake them both. Look for all three styles to land at select Nike Basketball retailers, as well as Nikestore.com, on February 11th.

Release Date: February 11th, 2012 (Saturday)

The special “Watch the Throne” edition of the Nike LeBron 9 is the kind of shoe that would have appeared more at home in an art gallery than it would on the shelf of a typical mall-based sneaker store. Artist VanShun has taken that notion and run with it, creating an art piece that’s inspired by the shoe design but also reproduces the actual sneaker as well. It appears at the center of the bas-relief sculpture, its unmistakable silhouette surrounded by the baroque design notes from the Watch the Throne album artwork as well as the Nike shoe it spawned. While the gold sheen has been replaced with a subdued gunmetal-like cast, the regal sensibility remains intact. The sculpture is currently on display at Miami’s Shoe Gallery.

Freegums, aka Alvaro Ilizarbe, is a household name by now in sneakerhead circles, though it’s likely precious little is known about the Miami-based artist outside of the Nike LeBron 9 model that bears his distinctive designs. A new video from House of Hoops documents Freegum’s perspective, revealing that the Peruvian-born artist regularly draws inspiration from his adopted hometown, and ultimately mines those experiences to create art that’s heavily dominated by linear forms and patterns. He goes on to expresses gratitude for the very unique canvas in which he was able to showcase his own particular talents in South Beach. Check out the video after the click.

As with the actions on court, LeBron James also have to juggled a few more things off the court this season, from his newly minted boutique UNKNWN to his ever growing array of Nike LeBron 9 editions. After an early glimpse at the “Big Bang” and “Dunkman”, the next LB9 is the “Summit Lake Hornets”, homage to James’ childhood basketball team and before he was to shine on the court of SVSM. No official announcement on the exact release date yet, though MarqueeSole is offering a few early version for sale on its site.

The uber limited Nike LeBron 9 ‘Watch the Throne’ is the very definition of ‘cray’. With a rumored seven pairs in existence, this gaudiest of LeBron James sneakers has found its way only to the inner circle of Kanye West and Jay-Z, with G.O.O.D music affiliates like Big Sean getting their hands on a pair. It only makes sense for a sneaker based on an album so heavenly laden with high fashion namedrops to come across this flossy, with the detailing mimicking that of the Riccardo Tisci-designed album cover which riffed off his Givenchy work. The icing on the cake is of course the gold dubrae jewel piece crafted by Gabriel Urist, hands down the dopest accoutrement for some laces that we’ve ever seen. Follow us after the jump for an up close look at the meticulously made jewel piece, the icing on the cake for this wildly exclusive Nike Basketball release. via: Inside the Sneaker Box

These new images provide the best look yet at the uber-exclusive “Watch the Throne” edition of the Nike LeBron 9, created by Nike Basketball to commemorate Kanye and Jay-Z’s landmark album of the same name. The shoe is strikingly designed with a black base accented with flashes of gold at the Swoosh, heel and tongue, but the two features that send the sneaker over the top are the lushly florid pattern on the lining and laces, as well as the oversized “WTT” gold lace jewels. Both are obviously inspired by Riccardo Tisci’s album artwork, which is in turn reminiscent of the designer’s Resort 2012 collection for Givenchy. An icy outsole is the proverbial icing on the cake. via: Stickie213

LeBron James fans have a couple of reasons to rejoice: first, the Miami Heat are 2 and 0 and playing in mid-season form. Though expectations are necessarily tempered in the lockout-shortened NBA season, most experts have already picked the Heat as the team to win it all this year. Second, the highly anticipated “Freegums” edition of the Nike LeBron 9 is set to release in just three days. The shoe, adorned with the art of Miami-based artist Alvaro “Freegums” Ilizarbe at the lining and white overlay, is a special birthday release, dropping just one day after King James’s 27th birthday. Look for them at Nike retailers like Long Island’s Extra Butter.

EXTRA BUTTER
266 Merrick Road | Map
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
TEL #: 516-632-5150

Release Date: December 31st, 2011 (Saturday)

With the delayed NBA season to start in just a few day, the new Nike LeBron 9 Big Bang made a brief appearance today with a release date set sometime in 2012. In vibrant orange outline with a darker gradient of the color as inlay, all on icy semi-transparent outsole.  Special graphics, in the forms of a galaxy and presumably the likeness to the constellation Leo, are sublimated onto the interior, the insole, as well as portion of the exterior shank.  Designers also took the time to redesign a new LeBron signature specifically for this particular edition.  No official date of release is available at this time with the exception of this preview pair from retailer MarqueeSole.

At one time a China exclusive design, in part as a “thank you” gesture to LeBron James‘ Chinese fans, Nike and Nike Basketball will release the Greater China edition of the LeBron 9 tomorrow at select retailers nationwide. Also known as “Fire Lion”, a mythical creature from Chinese lore, its icy blue appearance might be counter intuitive to many at first. But if you think for a moment, back to those mundane chemistry classes, then you know that blue flame actually burns at a higher if not the highest temperature. The first LeBron signature to combine second-generation Flywire and Hyperfuse, along with Max Air 180 heel unit and Zoom Air at the forefoot, LeBron 9 is the perfect arsenal in LeBron James’ armory this season. The Nike LeBron 9 Greater China Edition will be available starting tomorrow at Nike Basketball retailers like Mr. R Sports in Miami.

Style: 469764-800
Color: Neptune Blue/Current Blue-Total Orange

“…more than anything, UNKNWN is a modern educational platform…”

Just ahead of its highly anticipated opening, netizens get the opportunity to see (and hear) the story behind UNKNWN courtesy of Creative Control. A retail effort by Samantha Jo Alonso, Chris Julian, both of FRUITION Las Vegas fame, and last and least the man himself, LeBron James, UNKNWN is more than just a retail destination. As told by Julian, the new storefront is essentially a catalyst of “edgy positivity”, an interpretation on fashion, art, design, trends, and more… A way to return to the original intent of consumerism, to own and appreciate something of value. In the meantime, you can visit the new store in person this weekend at Aventura Mall just outside of Miami, Florida.

UNKNWN
Aventura Mall
19501 Biscayne Boulevard | Map
Aventura, FL 33180

Sneaker aficionados worldwide were agog at the initial images of the Nike LeBron 9 “Watch the Throne” when they surfaced online a month ago. As much as we claim to favor clean lines and classic styling, the incontrovertible truth is that many of us are drawn to the pomp and circumstance of flashy colors and ornate design. Perhaps the sensibility of excess espoused by Watch the Throne signals the swinging of the pendulum away from austerity toward extravagance — economic climate be damned — and explains the runaway success of H&M‘s collection with the house of Versace, a fashion label that was practically the ’90s avatar for conspicuous consumption. Yeezy, whose baroque-leaning sense of style heavily influenced Watch the Throne‘s album design, was recently spotted wearing a jacket from the line, and we can’t help observe the perfect footwear to finish the look would have been a pair of these special edition LeBron 9s. The rumor is there are only seven of these beauties in existence, one pair of which is now in the possession of rapper Big Sean, who’s currently opening for Kanye and Jay-Z on the Watch the Throne tour. Click through for more images that the rapper recently shared to a public still very much enraptured with these kicks. via: Big Sean’s Twitter