This Nike LeBron X sports hues close to those of the Miami Dolphins but that’s where the commonality stops. This isn’t a Dolphins flipped, marine mammal influenced LeBron X.
This is the LeBron X “Setting.”
Let’s go over the diamond angle first.
Diamonds are often set, or attached, to jewelry, and there’s many ways to do that. Take rings for instance. You can set diamonds in rings by prong method — the most common method — by attaching the stones to the ring with tiny wires. Then there’s the bezel method where metal holds the diamond down onto the piece. Burnish method pushes the stone directly into the metal for an integrated look. So taking this setting aspect of the diamond world together with the LeBron X’s diamond roots gives you the bauble side of this story.
Now let’s talk about the other side of this colorway’s story — Miami.
Everyone knows that Miami’s weather and bevy of activities are enormous draws for residents and vacationers alike. It’s why Crockett and Tubbs pulled duty all over Dade instead of walking the beat in, say, Minneapolis. It was definitely a selling point for LeBron in 2010. Bosh, too. And Miller. And Shane. And Ray. Picture it — sun everywhere, average temps in the 80s year round, loads of beaches to frolic on, plenty of high brows to schmooze with, and nightlife few cities can match. In this setting — there’s that word again — LeBron is the featured jewel or, in the Xs case, diamond. Kind of like those stone settings we just discussed, no?
The LeBron X “Setting” colorway jives wonderfully with Miami’s pastel shades, as Atomic Teal covers the entire Hyperfuse upper. That teal is flanked with white and Total Orange on the branding, laces, full length visible Zoom Air unit and outsole. The warmth of the orange placed against the beach-like green is almost like a golden Miami sunset that so many Floridians exhale breathy sighs over.
You can see it in the medial side storytelling graphic, too. The image depicts the Sun in the shape of a diamond, setting on the themed city of Miami. Florida is known as the Sunshine State, after all. Teal-tinted waters drift below. A Miami setting.
If you insist on the Dolphins angle, it’s understandable. But wrong. The colorway does nothing to discourage that parallel. But consider this: LeBron James is an unabashed Dallas Cowboys fan. The Miami Dolphins carry no relevance to LeBron’s life, much less an inspiration point for the man’s own signature shoe.
The Nike LeBron X “Setting” in Atomic Teal/Dark Atomic Teal/Total Orange/Sail is due to release in 2013.
