Nice Kicks: Following the Flywire based V1 and V2, you decided to go with Fuse technology on the LeBron 8 PS. After strategically working with both technologies, which one do you think is more beneficial and applicable to LeBron’s game?
Jason Petrie: Well, I think it just depends on how you use them. Both of those technologies are not good for just one thing. They’re explosive in terms of how we can use them, and we’re finding all of these new things and ways to use them. So, actually I don’t think there’s one that’s better than the other for him, but I think they’re both great for him even though that sounds like a cliche answer. We proved it in the Nike LeBron 8. Both of those solutions are in there, and they both fair equally well. I think Hyperfuse is a little bit more of an efficient solution because you’re able to do an entire shoe with that one material. With the flywire, it’s a little more complicated to do an entire shoe. It is going to take a little more research to get that done if it can be done at all. Hyperfuse is a bigger picture thing where we’ve realized that this technology is better for building performance footwear. So, it’s not just for LeBron because it can be used for Kobe, KD or johnny on the block with a ball in his hand which is really powerful. As for Flywire, you can still change a lot of dynamics as well. We are still discovering ways to use it, and new formulations that are really mind-blowing. The sky is the limit. We’ll use what we have for our innovation that’s working best at the time.
Nice Kicks: Everything is getting light in regards to basketball performance shoes, but you and the Nike design team chose to kind of go against the grain and maintain a certain weight seeing that LeBron is unlike any other basketball player considering his athletic prowess. How did you juggle making a lightweight construction for LeBron all while making it applicable to his play?
Jason Petrie: You hit the nail on the head, man. We’ve talked to LeBron about that, and he understands that and it really helped us come to that realization. He wanted a certain measure of protection in his shoe. He basically said he wanted to feel like there is something there. He said he wanted to bend, flex and move, but he wanted to be protected and locked into something. He didn’t want to feel like he was playing barefoot. We tried to push the weight pretty far. With the PS, we gave an early sample of it to LeBron, and he told us we needed to add a little more structure in certain areas and foam in other places. He thought it was a little too flimsy in certain places. So, we actually went back in and put some more bits and pieces of ounces in it. It was nothing that changed the weight of the shoe that much, but it added benefit to LeBron to where he felt more secure and stable. Therefore, the shoe worked that much better for him even though it may be .2 ounces heavier.
Nice Kicks: Although you changed the Air bag from a full-length 360 degree element to a 180 degree attribute, a lot of sneaker enthusiasts have fell in love with the full-length Air bag. How does this 360 degree bag differ from the bags incorporated into previous signature shoes that are apart of the Air Max Penny line, Air Max Barkley line and even the Air Max Griffey line?
Jason Petrie: That’s actually a pretty good observation. The full length Air Max is a little bit more for the heavy foot strikers or someone who has a little bit more mass. The new 180 bag differs from the old Penny bags in that it has a lot more Air and a lot more foam. It’s actually 80% more Air in this bag. So, that’s a pretty big deal. The geometry is quite different as well. It pulls forward into your lateral midfoot and extends past your really heavy crash pad areas. So, you’re really extending that Air cushioning benefit into another crucial area to add more protection. The old bags kind of just stop and provide great coverage on the heel impact. It just gives you a nice, more springy bounce.
“As we go forward with the Nike LeBron 9 and 10, we’re going to try to hit the gas, appropriately, where it works for LeBron and using technologies that are applicable to LeBron. In other words, we’re not going to make a shoe that’s super light because it’s the trendy thing to do, but we’re going to do something that LeBron needs and will benefit from.”– Jason Petrie |
Nice Kicks: In Miami, you mentioned that you and the Nike design team were inspired by a trip to Beijing in regards to the newly-designed Fuse technology. What, in particular, did you all discover on that trip that led you to incorporate Fuse on the Nike LeBron 8 PS and other products?
Jason Petrie: The insight that came out of it was that these guys play on really rough courts all hours of the day. To hoop, they needed a shoe that is light, durable and breathable. And that’s what Fuse is. It something that gives great durability and great breathability out of one material because it is a composite. We were able to use a lot of mesh without disturbing the durability level. Normally, when you have a mesh shoe, that thing tears up, you have no support and it feels like an aqua sock. But in this design, you have support, you still get the mesh in certain areas for breathability. We had to make it strong enough for LeBron. We didn’t want him to be twisting out of the shoe. We knew we could build this Fuse technology safely and produce it on a mass scale to where LeBron’s shoe, and the guy that goes and picks it up in the store, can both use this model for a very long time.
Nice Kicks: Has LeBron ever voiced to you his favorite model of the three?
Jason Petrie: Well, it’s funny because right when we first started this, our overall director and head of Nike Basketball challenged me to make each shoe hotter than the first one. It’s already a challenge to do one hot shoe. So, to do three in a row was a tough challenge. But we just got after it. LeBron actually reacted that way in the order we showed him. We showed him the V1, and he thought it was sick. When we showed you him the V2, he was extremely happy. We finally pulled out the PS and his expression and reaction was even more crazy. So, we achieved what we were going after. You never know until the guy you’re designing for finally sees it and reacts. It’s always a relief to see him act like that. We were all just really satisfied and proud to make him feel that because we knew it was a tall order.
To read page 3 of the interview, click here.
