The newest incarnation of the the Nike Lebrons was unveiled recently. And designer Jason Petrie really goes into detail on the complexity behind the design. Above you can see a couple sketches and renderings of what later became the Nike Air Max LeBron VII. Below are words straight from the man himself via SneakerNews

“My design process isn’t set in stone, but I am always trying to find what Ken Link calls the “truth” in the shoe. Usually I first look to identify the problem we need to solve and who we are solving it for. Once that is established my inspiration can come from anywhere, but it most often comes from the game and the culture around it. Having grown up a fan of basketball, as well as basketball and sneaker culture, I use that history combined with the game theater to fuel my creative process. With that as a foundation I then look to whatever the inspiration point may be for that particular project. That can be anything from athlete insight, an amazing moment in the game, a great movie, a beautiful car, or even just an afternoon on the court with friends talking smack. The love and beauty of the game is an endless source of inspiration for me, and when you add Nike’s science and technical prowess to that, you get this amazing blend of imagination and technology. To me, finding that “truth” is using that blend of imagination and technology to solve your problem, and using that solution to enable athletes to continue to push their boundaries and unlock pieces of the game that we haven’t ever seen before.”

To see a video of Lebron and Jason getting more in detail about the back story of the shoe, click below…

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today announced a World Tour featuring NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James that will span three continents over two months focusing on empowering youth, community service, grassroots basketball activities, and basketball innovation through the introduction of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII.

James’ World Tour will operate in conjunction with the promotional tour for the Lionsgate film, More Than a Game, which traces James’ journey through adolescence both on and off the court with his teammates from Saint Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Lionsgate is expecting to release the film in theaters on October 2nd, with an expansion on October 9th, and a wider expansion on October 16th.

Nike will introduce James’ next signature performance shoe, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, in advance of the World Tour which begins in Chicago on August 11.

From Chicago, the World Tour moves onto Washington, D.C. (August 14) and James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio (August 21); Beijing (August 24), Shenyang (August 26), and Shanghai (August 28) in China; and Paris (Sept 1-3) and London (September 4-5). The Tour returns to the U.S. in New York (September 20) before concluding in Los Angeles (September 26).

“More than a Game will enable kids all around the world to learn that they can achieve their dreams and goals through hard work and perseverance, not just in basketball but in whatever they decide to do in life,” said LeBron James. “We can all give back and make a difference in many different ways which I hope to convey and lead by example.”

Community Involvement
In each market, Nike and James will issue a call to action among youth to change their lives while improving their neighborhoods. Nike Basketball aims to engage and mobilize young men and women to serve their community through sport and create a positive change in their own backyards.

In addition to this community effort, James will attend Nike-hosted basketball skills clinics and celebrations where residents can unwind and have fun with James. Participants will be able to play basketball, develop their basketball skills, and learn more about Nike’s new padded base layer called Nike Pro Combat and SPARQ Training (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness), all in an interactive environment.

Artist Series
As part of the community celebrations, James will be presented with an exclusive pair of Nike Air Max LeBron VIIs featuring a city-inspired design created by a local artist.

Nike is collaborating with ten artists, each from a different city along the World Tour, to create unique designs for the Nike Air Max LeBron VII. James will receive a pair from each artist representing each city, creating a 10-pair collection that will be auctioned after the World Tour with proceeds going to support James’ global community service initiatives.

The artists, who will present James with their creation, were encouraged to push the creative envelope and bring the cities’ special characteristics to life on the shoe.

While the artist-renditions of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII will not be available at retail, Nike is proud to release 123 limited-edition pairs of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII in each tour city. Each of the 123 pairs will feature an image from the More Than A Game film inset on the lateral side of the shoe near the heel. Each city will feature a different image.

Tour Schedule
Chicago, Illinois August 11 Shanghai, China August 28
Washington D.C. August 14 Paris, France September 1-3
Akron, Ohio August 21 London, England September 4-5
Beijing, China August 24 NYC, New York September 20
Shenyang, China August 26 LA, California September 26