words // Zac Dubasik
Back in the day – all the way back in, say, 2011 – Nike told us that LeBron James needed a striped down and no frills edition of his shoe to best tackle the playoffs. The PS editions of the LeBron 7 and 8 followed years of him playing in the team-focused Soldier line for the post season.
But after years of playing in these lower-priced lines, Nike introduced its Elite series in 2012. Rather than stripping things down, the Elite series enhanced the models, adding features like Kevlar and carbon fiber.
Coincidently (or maybe not coincidently), you can charge more money for a beefed up shoe than a stripped down one, and the story became that the latest and greatest innovations were needed for the Playoffs, rather than simpler versions. Pretty crazy how that entire philosophy can change in a year, huh?
It wasn’t just the LeBron line that got the Elite treatment though. That first season featured the Kobe VII, along with Nike’s premier team shoe, the Hyperdunk 2011. It’s since transitioned into a signature-only series, but the concept is the same. And it's also worth noting that LeBron's first Championship came while wearing the 9 Elite.
In honor of this weekend’s launch of the newest Elite series, we’re taking a look back at each model in the line’s history, and seeing what elements were added to make that model “Elite.” We’ve also pointed out how much of a premium there was to pay on each model, based on the standard versions.
Let us know what you think of the concept, what your favorite models were, and if you think the line will go on in the future. Do you think the Elite elements are worth the price upgrade?
Hyperdunk 2011 Elite ($200)
Price Increase: $75
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Flywire, Kevlar-enhanced laces, Pro Combat collar & tongue, carbon fiber heel counter & midfoot shank, no-slip 3D printed sockliner
Nike Kobe VII Elite ($200)
Price Increase: $60
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Flywire, Kevlar-enhanced laces, Pro Combat collar, carbon fiber heel counter & midfoot shank, full-lenth Zoom Air, no-slip 3D printed sockliner
Nike LeBron 9 Elite ($250)
Price Increase: $80
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Flywire, Kevlar-enhanced laces, Pro Combat collar & tongue, carbon fiber midfoot counter, no-slip 3D printed sockliner
Nike KD V Elite ($200)
Price Increase: $85
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Dynamic Flywire, low-top cut, carbon fiber heel counter, Nike+ compatibility, caged Zoom Air unit in heel
Nike Kobe 8 Elite ($200)
Price Increase: $60
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Dynamic Flywire, Kevlar-enhanced laces, carbon fiber heel counter, drop-in Phylon midsole with embedded Zoom Air
Nike LeBron X Elite ($260)
Price Increase: $80
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Dynamic Flywire, Kevlar-enhanced laces, carbon fiber heel and midfoot counters
KD 6 Elite ($200)
Price Increase: $70
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Dynamic Flywire, full-length Max Zoom bag
Nike Kobe 9 Elite ($225)
Price Increase: $65
Elite Upgrades: Flyknit construction, carbon fiber midsole shanks
Nike LeBron 11 Elite ($275)
Price Increase: $75
Elite Upgrades: Kevlar-enhanced Flywire, no-slip printed collar, N/A
