Nike Releases Lebron 9 Sneaker Designed By Miami Artist Freegums
For the ninth model of Nike's LeBron signature shoe, Miami artist Alvaro Ilizarbe, also known as Freegums, was asked to deck out the kicks with Miami style.
Known for his intricate black-and-white work, Freegums created a hypnotic pattern which appears in the sneakers' lining as well as on the exterior in a white-on-white design. The longer you look at Freegum's LeBron pattern, the more you see.
There are palm trees, suns, royal lions, gators, and sharks. There's even a yeti driving an airboat flying a Freegums flag alongside three Everglades spirits. While the pattern is tucked inside the sneaker, you can see a larger image of Freegum's work here.
Nike threw a pre-release party at Miami's Shoe Gallery earlier this month. For the special event, Freegums created five laser-engraved wood keepsake boxes adorned with his Lebron pattern. The Nike archive, LeBron James, Freegums, and Shoe Gallery kept one of the boxes and the fifth was raffled off to someone in attendance that night. See photos of boxes and the pre-release party here.
The LeBron 9 by Freegums will be released to the public on December 31 in limited quantities. Check Shoe Gallery downtown and LeBron's newly opened Unknwn in Aventura. The shoes sells for $170.
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First Posted: 12/20/2011 3:28 pm Updated: 12/20/2011 5:43 pm