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Heart and Sole

LeBron James' new signature Nike shoe scores big with science, design and King James.

by Steve Gleydura | Oct. 20, 2014 | 4:00 AM

As much as Cleveland obsesses about LeBron James, Nike knows more. His new LeBron 12 shoe, in development for more than three years, is rooted in data Nike scientists have been gathering on James since he was drafted. "LeBron pushes us as hard as he pushes himself," says Trevor Edwards, president of Nike Brand footwear. Its first-ever hexagonal-shaped cushioning and support system, in fact, is mapped specifically with James' explosive game in mind. Here's where else we found James in his LeBron 12s.

SIX PACK

To develop each hexagonal pad, Nike researchers measured the pressure points created on the foot by basketball's unique demands of jumping, cutting, planting and running. "We literally tried to tune the heights, the thicknesses and the sizes to be appropriate to the foot pressures we were seeing," says Taryn Hensley, director of Nike's cushioning innovation team.

9 Strides
Steps it takes James to cover the court end to end, four fewer than the average NBA player

0.8 Seconds
Time it takes James to go from the 3-point line to the hoop at 20 mph

9,300 Watts
Power James can generate for an instant at takeoff when jumping, which is enough to light up more than four lighthouses

TAG TEAM

The LeBron 12 comes in seven initial color combinations, designed with input from James. "So many things that this shoe has are personal to me," says James. Check out these three special designs.

10 Seasons
Years James has averaged 25 points, six rebounds and four assists per game, the most all-time. Data James' points and assists are laid along vertices and axes to create the multicolored circular pattern. "There's a bit of sport coding to it," says Eugene Rogers, basketball color lead.

1,124 Degrees/second
Rotational force James generates during a tomahawk dunk, roughly equal to a Chinook helicopter blade. Dunk Force Green accents date to the Zoom LeBron 2. "It's fusing something from LeBron's past with something from the present," says Rogers.

0.18 Seconds
Time it takes James to release a 40 mph pass, less than half the time it takes to blink an eye. Instinct "Hummingbirds see so well," says Nike's Kevin Dodson. "They're insanely quick. As they see, they can react instantaneously."

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