Jerry Wu and the Nike LeBron 10 “Elite” for Hypebeast’s Sole Mates

Jerry Wu lives and breathes basketball. The hardwood has been a haven for him since he was younger — he usually watched NBA video games and was an avid leisure participant — however past that, it’s additionally been an avenue to forge a profession path within the footwear business. Wu has advanced from being a sneaker reseller into the top of Sneaker Con China, the place he works to curate distinctive experiences for sneaker fans whereas fostering a group that celebrates the cultures of basketball and sneaker amassing.

Wu can be a loyal LeBron James fan. His private assortment is a sign of this, as he’s amassed an array of coveted gems from scorching ticket colorways to uncommon Nike participant exclusives. So once we tapped Wu to take part in our Sole Mates collection, he needed to spotlight the Nike LeBron 10 “Elite” colorway.

Within the dialog under, Wu discusses how he developed a love for sneakers, what his favourite Nike LeBron pairs are and the variations he notices between sneaker tradition in China and overseas.

How did you get into sneakers?

Basketball. I grew up an avid participant and at all times discovered myself watching NBA video games. I bear in mind poring over SLAM magazines and bonding with mates over our favourite gamers. By nature, we began to develop an curiosity in what sneakers they have been rocking and the way they affected tradition.

Do you bear in mind what the primary pair of sneakers you purchased have been?

Once I was first beginning to get into basketball, I bear in mind being an enormous fan of watching the Houston Rockets as a result of they’d excellent gamers like Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. It made me wish to purchase T-MAC’s signature adidas sneakers, however I bear in mind going into the adidas retailer and seeing that they have been all out of T-MACs, Gilbert Arenas’ sneakers and Kevin Garnett’s kicks, so I ended up settling for the adidas Loopy 8 within the black and white colorway.

Are you able to recall every other early pairs that you just added to your assortment?

I’d say Yao Ming’s Nike Shox Supremacy PE from the ‘03 NBA All-Star Recreation and the Air Jordan 4 “Worry”. The previous marked the primary time {that a} Chinese language basketball participant performed in an All-Star Recreation, which was additionally Michael Jordan’s final All-Star Recreation earlier than he retired. They have been styled in a UNC-inspired palette to honor Jordan’s alma mater.

The latter will at all times be memorable for me as a result of I bear in mind tenting in a single day at a Villa retailer in Detroit, Michigan to get them. I recall a tussle breaking out as a result of individuals bought rowdy as soon as the mall doorways opened and safety needed to pepper spray individuals to get them to settle down. It was in all probability one of many scariest moments of my life, however I used to be grateful to have walked out with a pair.

You’ve expressed an immense quantity of affection for LeBron James. When did this fandom begin for you?

I fell in love with LeBron after watching Greater than A Recreation proper after the Miami Warmth beat the San Antonio Spurs within the 2013 NBA Finals. I used to be impressed by the truth that he was a small-town child who made it to the league and has been capable of maintain such a profitable profession to today. It impressed me to place my very own metropolis on my shoulders, attempt to do my greatest and affect extra individuals.

“The LeBron 10 will at all times be my favourite. It simply had the perfect stability, consolation and aesthetic out of any of his different fashions.”

What are a few of your favourite pairs of LeBrons in your assortment?

I’ve collected a ton of Nike LeBron colorways up to now together with GRs, excessive warmth releases and extra, however the LeBron 10 Elite will at all times be my favourite. It simply had the perfect stability, consolation and aesthetic out of any of his different fashions. I personal an autographed pattern pair of the Nike LeBron 10 “Elite” colorway which can at all times be necessary to me as a result of it took me six years to trace down.

One other pair that I maintain near my coronary heart is one in every of Kyrie Irving’s Nike LeBron 8 Low PEs. Nike solely made six pairs of those, a few of which he solely gave to his closest mates. These remind me of the times that I used to be going to highschool in Detroit, and the way I drove out to Cleveland on occasion to catch a few video games, one in every of which was the ring ceremony after the Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors and got here again from being down 3-1. It was a particular time.

After experiencing Sneaker Con in several cities, what are the principle variations in sneaker tradition that you just’ve observed between dwelling and overseas?

Demand for sneakers, whether or not or not it’s the largest collaborations, PEs or inline types, is on the identical stage each at dwelling and overseas. The largest distinction that I’ve observed between exhibitions is that we are inclined to put barely extra effort into giving customers a extra immersive expertise in China. We work with each exhibitor, collaborating model, sponsor, media outlet and artist that involves our conventions to ensure that our customers stroll away with an unforgettable expertise. That features bringing in additional uncommon sneakers, having extra unique drops and even participating with customers that stand outdoors the night time earlier than Sneaker Con begins to make them really feel extra included.

So many new impartial sneaker manufacturers and designers proceed to pop up at Sneaker Con yearly. What’re your ideas on the way it has contributed to the occasion?

I’m very enthusiastic about this as a result of it feels just like the exhibition is a sneaker historical past guide that’s continuously being edited — and we’re witnesses. We proceed to see extra impartial manufacturers promote right here whether or not it consists of shoe imprints, trend labels of shoe care firms and I solely hope to see extra of that down the road.

Why are sneakers and their tales necessary to you?

I like sneakers as a result of they replicate who I’m, particularly my deep-rooted love for basketball. They symbolize milestones of my life in addition to these of my favourite gamers. Moreover, Sneakers create extra alternatives for manufacturers to share their tales, construct extra communities and contribute to the way forward for basketball tradition.

This concern of Sole Mates was initially posted on HYPEBEAST CN and has been tailored accordingly.