Five of the Best 'South Beach' Nikes
The sneakersphere has a handful of colourways that it holds dear. ‘Infrared’ and ‘Persian’ are staples and go hand-in-hand with the word ‘grail’. And the eye-searing teal and pink combo known as ‘South Beach’ is a member of the same exclusive club. It made its first appearance on the LeBron 8, celebrating King James’ historic move to the Sunshine State, and has been a fan favourite ever since. So, pull out a deck chair, grab a tropically themed beverage, and join us as we look back at our favourite Floridian-inspired Nikes.
The original and the best. The Lebron 8 was the first shoe to sport the now-famous sea foam green. It released in 2010 when LeBron left his home state of Ohio for the beaches of Miami. The shoe caused a stir at the time, and even now it carries the kind of hype usually reserved for the another famous baller’s signature line. Like 'em? Be prepared to fork out over $1K for those beach vibes.
Some will insist that these are called ‘Miami Vice’, but let’s be real, this is a ‘South Beach’ sequel. Nike remixed the original in 2012 on the LeBron 9 PS Elite, toning down the glare and opting for a largely grey upper. The ‘South Beach’ DNA has been kept intact, with teal pops on the laces and midsole. Whether or not they belong under the moniker, they must have done something: James and the Heat won the championships just after they released.
These may be recent, and their status unconfirmed, but they're the modern update the colourway needed. James wore these bright ballers on-court last month, fuelling rumours that they'd release as part of the LeBron Watch program (which gives Nike members the chance to score PE editions through SNKRS ). Unfortunately, it seems these were proper player exclusive and we won’t see a release.
It’s not only basketball fiends who like a bit of colour, your neighbourhood riffraff do too. And so the Air Max 95 takes its rightful place on this list. Admittedly, the colours are a bit different (one could argue that the AM 95 ‘Miami Vice’ from 2008 was closer to the real ‘South Beach’), but that’s what it's called, and who are we to argue?
We’ve seen a swag of S-Beachy releases recently, and again, you don’t have to be a b-ball fan to get on board. The Air Max 98 celebrated a pretty big milestone this year, and what could be more festive than celebrating with fun-in-the-sun vibes? This 98 takes a leaf from the LeBron 9 Book of ‘South Beach’ and pairs the pops of colour with more wearable grey. We gotta say, this has to be one of the best birthday colourways we’ve seen.