NIKE LEBRON XVIII LOW

NIKE LEBRON XVIII LOW “SAKURA”
LEBRON XVIII LOW, the latest model in the LEBRON series, is decorated in cherry blossoms, used to symbolize Japan, as a design source. Topped with an atmos-like finish with Japan as the background. The upper has a colorful mosaic pattern inspired by Trencadís, which covers the curved surface like the wall that stretches around Park Guell in Spain. Innovation being intregrarsd to create a pair that breathes new possibilities into performance shoes.

Behind the scenes with KOJI LEBRON XVIII meets VIOTECH
Text by Masayuki Ozawa

Talk 1

About how the atmos and Lebron collaboration talks started?

It was 2017? 32 accounts from around the world, including Atmos, gathered at NIKE’s headquarter for a meeting, and I met an acquaintance who had moved to the Lebron team and we exchanged various information. While brain storming ideas, we had the opportunity of discussing the different strategies that could be used in expressing Lebron James` value not only an all-star basketball player but as fashion icon as well. So in order to convey and appeal to his greatness and the brand to Sneaker heads, I made a sneaker-inspired performance shoe with an approach to connecting to the street fashion. As some of you may know, in 2018, the project “#LeBronWatch”, which was inspired by sneakers and athletes that Lebron had been influenced by in the past, started overseas. Recently, the Nike LeBron Air Max 95 “Home Team” released as a Quick Strike, the mechanisms are progressing worldwide. Rather than Japan the current situation is that the NBA is booming around the world, from there I thought that the transmission of atmos could affect not only Japan but on a global scale. With the experiences I gained from doing past collaborations in mind, I thought of co-creating street culture with athletes to port the street archive to the latest LEBRON shoes. Like retro silhouettes, LEBRON announces new models every year. It was the “LEBRON XVI LOW” (2019) that sampled the air max 1 “SAFARI” and “JADE” and that linked to the atmos` retros to the latest models in the series. LEBRON has been equipped with air max technology since the X model, so I think it was a good match. Two years later, I decided to try transplanting atmos` air max 1 “VIOTECH” from 2003 to the latest LEBRON XVIII LOW. Which is a legacy important to atmos` history, that has yet to be reprinted despite receiving numerous requests.

Talk 2

Methods needed to be also loved in the street wear category

Nowadays, not only LEBRON but also performance shoes are required to be light. In order to pursue the functionality even in the actual “LEBRON XVIII”, translucent and no-sew methods were adopted.. In order to be loved on the street, the warmth and combination of materials are necessary, and it is not possible to bring a retro feeling to the latest hi-tech model by just changing the color. That`s how I`ve always thought, and the AIR MAX bespoke series I’ve been working on since 2006 has never traced the combination of the OG’s glossy mesh and/or suede. This “VIOTECH” model uses nubuck as it was at that time, and the swoosh is arranged a little larger than usual. About 20 years later, it is only natural in the industry that the times will regain attention. Even if you find the original now, it will be difficult to wear due to hydrolyzation, and sole swapping would be difficult as well. I think that there is a current trend around such a trend. It conveys the mood of the market, which is tired of the triple black and/or triple white concept. I remember thinking that the “VIOTECH” put these two trends together and at the same time brought the mood of ACG in the 90’s alongside with it. At the same time, brown was also sought to bring out a sense of luxury, as shown in the “DUNK HIGH PREMIUM”, etc…. Like shown in the Escape colorway and STUSSY’s collaborated “AIR HUARACHE” that retro-ed recently, the street culture in the early 2000s connected strongly to outdoor elements. By the way, “VIOTECH” is the name of the purple color used in the upper. In regards, to the “VIOTECH” DUNK LOW, the OG was nicknamed “CRAZY” or “RAINBOW”

Talk 3

Looking into the cherry blossom design and the story behind it.

The other proposed colourway “CHERRY BLOSSOM” expresses charm and story by increasing the degree of freedom used in the materials, such as incorporating emblemed petals into the swoosh.

Other than the obvious factors and motifs shown, such as the Japanese elements of cherry blossoms and Mt. Fuji, there is another layer that is brought forth in a more fashionable manner. Trencadís (crushed tile finish) covers the curved surface of the wall that stretches around the famous Park Guell in Spain. By filling the translucent area with a mosaic pattern that is typical of Park Guell, the taste of performance shoes has been softened.

How can you betray the ingenuity of shoes designed for on-court attractively? That’s what I always have to do. Harajuku at the time of making the air max 1 “VIOTECH” model strong sampling culture of the 90’s, After that, as the presence of sneakers grew, they took on the role of conveying a new culture to the streets and began to value the story. In that sense, this “LEBRON XVIII LOW” is designed from the perspective of both sampling and story.