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by Brandon Richard
Buy Now: Dover Street Market, NikeLab
Today, Nike hosted a basketball clinic in Shanghai, with the goal of instilling athletic fundamentals in young athletes and inspiring creativity. They were joined by Stéphane Ashpool, founder of Parisian label Pigalle. Ashpool also brought players from his own program to participate alongside the Nike RISE locals. The event is part of a summer tour through Asia.
Celebrating the union between sports and fashion, Ashpool also introduced the Pigalle x NikeLab LeBron 12 Elite at the Shanghai clinic. Ashpool’s design brings off-court aesthetic to the touted performance model.
"The LeBron is not only for the core player, but also for someone with a futuristic style," said Ashpool. "I love this shoe. It’s getting more and more easy to see people wearing them off the court."
Muted white and silver details offer a distinct contrast to the bright colors typically featured in the LeBron signature series, while speckled print throughout the upper alludes to basketball’s shot clock and the passing of time. Other premium upgrades include extra memory foam packed into the collar, a leather tongue and a geometric lace lock. The shoe also calls back to the wider Pigalle x NikeLab collection from this past June.
On his own experience with the LeBron 12 Elite, Ashpool said, "I tried them during the testing period and I really liked them. The LeBron 12 Elite provides the ultimate in comfort and aesthetics."
The Pigalle x NikeLab LeBron 12 Elite will launch this Tuesday, Aug. 18 at NikeLab X158 in Shanghai, Wednesday, Aug. 19 at NikeLab PS7 in Hong Kong and on Thursday, Sep. 3 at select NikeLab stores and nike.com/nikelab.
Pigalle x NikeLab LeBron 12 Elite SP
Release Date: 09/03/15
Color: White/Pure Platinum
Style #: 806951-100
UPDATE 8/24: A couple more angles on this unorthodox Nike LeBron release.