“Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley, Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley, Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley, My jeans are never empty” – Lloyd Banks
G-Unit Lloyd Banks’s single is currently one of the hottest songs on the airwaves. So, how does this song connect with sneakers you ask?
Over the years, an abundance of sneakers have been constructed and inspired by automobiles. Just recently, Nike released the extremely-limited Kobe Bryant “Aston Martin” Pack and PUMA unleashed its collaborative effort with Ferrari and Canada retailer Livestock just to name a couple. However, this list includes many more sneakers that have drawn inspirations from cars or car elements. With that said, check out our Beamer, Benz or Bentley? Kicks Inspired by Exotic Cars feature.
Nike Air Zoom Generation
Inspiration: H2 Hummer
Our first Beamer, Benz or Bentley: Kicks Inspired by Exotic Cars installment comes in the form of the Lebron James’s first signature sneaker, the Nike Air Zoom Generation. The sneaker community expected big things from LeBron’s signature line after hearing that he signed a seven year, $93 million contract with Nike. Therefore, Nike called upon the efforts of masterminds, Eric Avar, Tinker Hatfield and Aaron Cooper to design this sneaker that was inspired by a dark cloud around LeBron’s senior season: his H2 Hummer (LeBron received the $80,000 Hummer H2 as a birthday gift from his mom). As for the direct design cues, the H2’s metallic tinted windows are represented by the window-like attribute on the heel panel. The plastic tongue guard features King James’s first name in embossed letters which is inspired by the H2’s taillights. Lastly, metal eyelets and lace rails seen on the lacing system are inspired by the H2’s rims and rail guards.
