In the following video clip, Nike Basketball Senior Designer Jason Petrie discusses the product conception and design details behind the new Nike LeBron VII P.S. (Post Season) shoe which will serve as LeBron’s final ride this playoff season in his hunt for an NBA championship. Petrie describes the regular season as a marathon and the potential 28-game post season as a sprint, and designs the LeBron VII P.S. accordingly in a lighter weight and more “tuned” package. Continue reading for more images and to view the full product video with Nike LeBron VII P.S. Designer Jason Petrie.

Earlier this month, we showed you a few preview shots of a new Nike Air Max LeBron VII “Dunkman” colorway. Since then, more detailed images of the Black/Green style have surfaced online. The Jason Petrie-designed shoe features a Nike Flywire upper panel along with a new basketball-specific 360 Air Max unit. LeBron’s famous “Dunkman” silhouette can be see embedded on the tongue and prominently displayed underfoot through the translucent rubber outsole on both sides of the shoe. Continue reading for multiple detailed photos of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII – “Dunkman” edition.

Images via Kinstor

Tony Hardman was part of the original judging team for the Air Jordan Design Competition on Counter Kicks‘ official footwear design division, Project Bluefoot. His unconventional route into the footwear industry took him from working retail to freelancing at Jordan Brand and eventually working at Skechers. And now? Say hello to your newest Nike Employee, Tony Hardman…

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As originally posted on Counter Kicks’ footwear design division, Project Bluefoot:

Project Bluefoot: I know it’s been your life long dream to work at Nike. How did it feel to finally get hired there?

Tony Hardman: Man, honestly it’s hard to really fathom. Obviously, getting a dream job…it doesn’t get any more exciting or rewarding than that! On the other hand, I had put so much effort into it, that it actually felt like it was earned by the time it happened. The excitement will really kick in once I step on to the campus in a week or so!

PBF: What athletic category did you get hired in at Nike?

Hardman: I’ll be jumping into the Core Performance category, which is a great spot for me to start. We create performance products at a lower price point, but maintain the excitement and innovative solutions you’ll find in any category at Nike. It’s great to come in and learn directly from guys who I have been studying and looking up to for years. They have definitely set the stage for me to be successful and I can’t wait to get to work!

PBF: Talk about your design journey on getting to Nike. Where did it start and how involved and long was the process of getting hired at Nike?

Hardman: Getting at Nike was a long process for sure. I have been dreaming about it for 20 years now and giving it 110% effort for about the last 8. It’s funny because when I went home for Christmas, my mom was saying “I remember you sitting at the table drawing shoes as a kid and saying you were going to do it for a living someday. I never actually thought you would be doing it! What do I know?!” My path was pretty unconventional though. As many people know I was just a regular shoe head working retail management jobs and drawing shoes at night.

Initially Jason Petrie was a huge inspiration for me and eventually my first mentor back when he was designing for Fila. Eventually, Denis Dekovic (who now works at Nike doing women’s training) noticed some of my work on NikeTalk and emailed me the contact info for several big names in the footwear industry. Aaron Cooper was one of those names and also one of the main guys who reached out to me 8 years ago and set me on the right path. While I was in the process of building a book of work to send to him, he moved off to Europe to head up a new design group. Around the same time Jason Petrie had just been hired and put me in contact with D’Wayne Edwards who was the design director for Jordan Brand. So I sent the book to DE and he gave me my first big shot freelancing in 2004 for Jordan…definitely an amazing experience. D’Wayne had worked at Skechers earlier in his career, so he was able to pull a few strings and get me in front of them to interview for a full time position. So over the last 5 years I’ve been working on some really fun product with the Skechers kids team while building a portfolio of performance product in my free time. 11-12 interviews later, Nike finally saw my potential and gave me the shot I have been dreaming about!

PBF: What’s your ultimate goal at Nike and in your design career in general?

Hardman: Really the next step for me is to absorb and learn as much as I can from the crazy talented and knowledgeable people I will be surrounded by at Nike. Many of the designers I grew up idolizing I will be working with on a daily basis. That’s an opportunity not too many people get to experience in life, so I plan to take full advantage of it! Seeing other people’s work inspires me to design just like watching MJ inspired me to want to play ball. Ultimately, I’d want to have an impact on as many categories as I can, and work on some product that really inspires people either artistically or athletically. If I can design a shoe that really makes someone want to go out and be the best at their sport, and actually make them better in the process, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. There’s nothing more exciting than that! Now that I’ve sort of conquered this initial goal of just getting in the door, I’ll be focused on setting a new, and more “impossible” goal, like getting into a director position or something of that nature. But there’s a LOT to learn, so right now I’m just excited to be a part of the history of such a great company and look forward to the future and the possibilities. You never know what’s around the corner! I’m looking forward to doing some NON-SHOE related art work in my off time as well!

PBF: What words of advice can you give to the next generation of designers trying to break into the industry?

Hardman: 3 words: Practice, patience and persistence! If there’s anything I have learned from this journey, it’s that you really can accomplish anything you put your mind to. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be easy. You have to be strong and focused to see it through, and willing to solve the problems and overcome the obstacles that will ultimately come with any goal you set for yourself. Networking and seeking feedback from a few key mentors was HUGE for me, and I think essential for anybody looking to break through. But the other piece to that is actually LISTENING and DOING. I can’t tell you how many people have emailed me, seeking advice, then never following through. I think one thing Nike saw in me was a real desire to take in what people were telling me, then adding it to my skill set through practice and applying it to my latest projects. Shoe design is such a multi-skilled trade that you have to constantly evolve and add pieces to your arsenal just to keep up. Not only are you just designing the shoe from an aesthetic standpoint, but also learning to connect with different consumers, developing innovative performance solutions for the athlete, creating logos and graphics, familiarizing yourself with the constantly evolving manufacturing processes and selecting the right materials and colors just to name a few. The competition is FIERCE now, and on an international level – so if you are not prepared to consistently listen and grow you are already out of the game. I have just always been willing to pay my dues, and I truly believe that hard work will always pay off in the end! Cliche, but true!

PBF: Any last words you want to get out?

Hardman: There’s a term that people have used over the years to describe me and I’d like to take this opportunity to change it. The term is “self-taught”. Coming from a retail background and not having a degree always kind of led people to this conclusion that I must be ”self-taught”. For the longest time I actually bought into it myself until I really sat and thought about that, then I realized it was the most ridiculous thing ever! I’m actually the furthest thing from self-taught. I learned from an incredible network of people over the years that I want to take an opportunity to thank for reaching out, because without them, I wouldn’t know a damn thing! [Laughs.] There are too many to mention individually, but Jason Petrie, Aaron Cooper, D’Wayne Edwards and Denis Dekovic were amazing mentors and never gave a second thought to sharing their knowledge with me. The whole team at Skechers who really took me under their wing and showed me the ropes on so many levels when I came in thinking I knew it all, but really knew nothing! Also all my peers who supported, encouraged, inspired and provided honest feedback through various sites over the years. Thanks guys! I look forward to returning the favor to the next generation of guys coming up. Remember – once you can do something you love for a living, you never have to work a day again the rest of your life! -TH

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Visit our Footwear Design Division at Project Bluefoot.com

The newest Nike Air Max LeBron VII colorway officially hits retail next month. The White/Black/Metallic Gold shoe features a black suede and white patent leather upper with gold accenting to cap off the style. The Jason Petrie-designed model comes furnished with a re-designed, basketball-specific 360 Max Air unit along with Nike Flywire upper paneling. Continue reading for more detailed photos of the Air Max LeBron VII.

via Foot Locker Unlocked

After a brief stint of “Team” and “Elite” designated shoes, the signature Huarache made its much anticipated return to the market a couple of years ago starting with the Huarache ‘08 Designed by Jason Petrie. For 2010, the Huarache is once again reincarnated but this time as the Huarache Legion. Pictured are a couple of player exclusives for Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies and Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic. Both versions feature the players signature logos on the tongue. From the pictures you can see large ankle cutouts and the one piece inner bootie both of which have become a staple of the Huarache line. Stay tuned for more info. Continue reading for more images of these player exclusives along with a shot at the general release version Nike Huarache Legion.

Images via: BENTHUGS of NT PI and Slam Magazine Online

Our footwear design partner site Project Bluefoot has invited the 2009 Nike Future Sole Finalists to each share their first-hand account on what it was like making the trip up to Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR for the annual Nike-sponsored footwear design competition for high school students run by D’Wayne Edwards, Design Director at Jordan Brand. The latest Finalist to tell their story is Matt DeAlmeida from Arlington, MA. Continue reading for DeAlmeida’s complete Future Sole recap as originally posted on Project Bluefoot, including exclusive concept sketches of his winning leaf-inspired Nike design.

Where to begin…

The trip was awesome (you could have answered that one yourself). I had never been on a plane before or really traveled more than a couple states from Massachusetts, so the whole plane experience was fun. There were so many inspiring things. The architecture lines at the airports, the planes themselves, and some of the other things I saw along the way were really cool. I kept myself productive sketching and throwing down lead for the 8 hour flights.

Once my Dad and I touched down in Portland we were driven to the hotel and checked in. There was a bunch of stuff waiting for me (hats, shirts, bag, sketchbook,etc.). That night the finalists had dinner with D’Wayne Edwards, Design Director at Jordan Brand. D’Wayne was very insightful with what he said over dinner, more than I can sum up here.

The next day we met up with D’Wayne at the NIKE campus. Dee Wells and Sean Williams from Obsessive Sneaker Disorder (OSD) were also in attendance. There were A LOT of things to be seen. Walking through the dimly lit offices was cool. Seeing the typical work environment, with sketches, models, and personals, was really interesting. We sleuthed through some work areas. I definitely had an advantage there. Being 6’3″ I could see over the cubicle walls. Fellow bigfoot Dee Wells from OSD shared my luxury as we peeked over the walls and turned to each other preaching about what we just saw. Then D’Wayne led us to the sample room.

Being able to see some of the future samples and some of the original concepts/design process for shoes already released was great. After flooding the sample room with drool we made our way to the presentation room. Michael Jordan was there that Thursday so they had the presentation room set up (Yeah, Michael Jordan was there. No big deal). We got to see the direction for 2010 and future products. There was also a separate room devoted to the Air Jordan 2010 flagship. The sketches were on display. It was interesting to see some of the primary concepts and how much they evolved.

After our tour we went to the Nike Employee Store. And after that, we met our mentors for the first time at dinner. The mentors were Marc Dolce, Denis Dekovic, Justin Taylor, and Mark Miner. It was great to put some faces to the work that inspired me to start drawing shoes over at Kicksguide. It was great talking to Marc, Denis, and everybody else. As you could imagine there was plenty to talk about.

The next morning we had breakfast with the mentors. Then JT led us around campus because most of the buildings were closed the first day and there was a certain security guard who didn’t want to let Mr. Edwards in. We met back up with our mentors and “went over our presentation”. Pretty much Marc just showed me some of his old stuff and showed me around his department. Across from Marc’s desk was Peter Fogg. Marc introduced me to him and was surprised I knew him (I said I was familiar with the Nike Ashiko and ACG Tallac). Peter showed me some of his work and started throwing samples of the Ashiko boot at Marc and me across the room. It was awesome because I would refer to someone’s work then bump into them.

I was alluding to some of Erik Arlen’s work and he ended up popping up to talk to Marc. The time for presentations was creeping up, so as we walked around I explained my design to Marc. He loved my inspiration from a leaf. So we went outside and started picking leaves out of a tree looking like crazy people. We made our way, with pockets full of leaves, to the presentation room. It was jumping. As my fellow Future Sole finalists Austin Jermacans and Daniel Gold presented, Marc and I were finalizing my presentation.

We started talking about my sole concept and how it functioned. Little did Marc know I brought all of my work for the project with me. I pulled it out and Marc was entranced flipping through all my sketches. He was also a little disappointed that I had been holding out on him. It was time for my presentation and Marc introduced me. He talked about how he is a NY guy who likes the Yankees (to keep this even remotely professional I’ll leave out my thoughts on the Yankees) and I’m a Sox fan. Once Marc got a few laughs he turned it over to me.

JT and I put up my poster (nobody else could reach) and I started my presentation. Ethan Dean went next and wrapped things up. The presentations were followed by what seemed like forever. Finally the fat lady got her vocal chords going and the winners were announced. Jason Mayden first announced the Jordan Category, which went to Austin Jermacans.

Then, the Nike Category which I was competing in was announced. I heard my name. I felt relieved and ecstatic. Jason congratulated us and gave us a chance to thank those who deserved it. Then on a more serious note, Jason reminded us of how blessed we are. He told us to try to reach out and help others. It got a little crazy after that. Marc was showing just about everyone who was there my sketches. Jason Petrie (Senior Designer at Nike Basketball) came through and Marc wasn’t shy about showing him either. Ironically enough I had Zenith Chance’s Alphaproject concept printed out as reference in my folder. He got a laugh out of that.

The room started to drain. Not really wanting to go, we loitered there for a little. We said our goodbyes and thank yous to D’Wayne and the mentors. The trip was finally over. Back to the drawing board. -Matt DeAlmeida, 2009 Nike Future Sole Winner

Visit our footwear design partner site Project Bluefoot for the only global footwear design competitions pairing up world-class companies with the next generation of designers.

Nike Hong Kong held an event this past week and distributed a free LeBron James poster booklet to all who attended. Included in the set are early concept sketches of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII by Jason Petrie, Senior Designer at Nike Basketball. Also seen in the posters are various colorways of the LeBron VII, along with multiple images of the new Nike Zoom LBJ Ambassador II. Continue reading for more photos of the posters.

Images via LRJ23

Nike Air Max LeBron VII designer Jason Petrie briefly waxes on the new White/Midnight Navy-Red LeBron VII colorway hitting retail on November 19th. Check the video, then continue reading for more photos of the shoe.

Images via Nike Basketball

The LeBron VII Mids may have just dropped, and the new NBA season may have just begun, but photos of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII Low hitting retail in 2010 are out now. Seen in two styles – White/Red/Black and White/White/Gum – the shoes take on a more relaxed and casual look opposed to its taller, Flywire-enhanced, 360 Max Air Unit carrying sibling. The LeBron VII Low features a visible heel Air Unit and rubber herringbone traction pattern outsole. Continue reading for more detailed photos.

Images via FlightClub

The only global footwear design competition that partners up world-class brands with the next generation of aspiring footwear designers is back. This time, Project Bluefoot is hosting a LeBron James basketball footwear design challenge with judges: Jason Petrie, Senior Footwear Designer at Nike Basketball (LeBron VII Designer) and Ken Link, Former Creative Director at Nike Basketball (LeBron II-VI Designer) reviewing the concepts. Aspiring designers take notice: The deadline for design submission is Oct. 15th at Midnight (PST) so get your concepts in early! Check out Project Bluefoot for more info.

Project Bluefoot has just launched their next “Intelligent Design Competition” with the design brief to build a Nike performance signature shoe for LeBron James.

Judging the competition is Jason Petrie, Senior Footwear Designer at Nike Basketball and Ken Link, Former Creative Director at Nike Basketball. Petrie is the current lead designer on the Nike Lebron line and designed the latest incarnation: the Nike Air Max Lebron VII. Link managed the line from the Nike Zoom Lebron II all the way to last year’s Nike Zoom Lebron VI. Visit Project Bluefoot for more information.