Behind the Dye
Inspired by the world’s greatest athlete, the John Elliott x LeBron James Icon took inspiration from unlikely places to create a sneaker that highlighted innovative thinking and ventured out into uncharted territory.
With versatility in mind, John Elliott drew inspiration from a unique double dye process and merged it with a translucent body that defied convention and paralleled the legacy of one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Reverse engineering the double dye approach, John Elliott took the concept of utilizing different amounts of dye to create dimension through highs and lows. Though subtle, the intention was to create a product that is intriguing enough for someone to pick it up.
“What is it about a product that makes it so good that they are willing to pick it up off the rack? And so my whole thing has always been subtly developing fabrics, subtly developing patterns, subtly developing washes, or developing dye processes so unique that you want to investigate it...”
With a unique approach to fluidity and allowing the consumer to own the sneaker by adding their own flair, the JE Icon’s transparent upper provides the unique ability to customize the final look and change it every single day.
“That's a breakthrough. That's something new that didn't exist five years ago, let alone ten years ago.”
Tapping into the urge to produce something new, John Elliott looked to create a unique product and process that transformed over time and redefined the conventional approach.
"There's enough product in the world. And I want to make product that matters, that people hold onto. I'd really like to have processes that people talk about and can watch evolve over time.”
