LeBron X shoes get custom 'Iron Man' treatment

Mache Custom Kicks designed a gorgeous Iron Man-inspired edition of the LeBron X. (Photo credit: Mache Custom Kicks) *** By Rob Mahoney The sneaker industry

Mache Custom Kicks designed a gorgeous Iron Man-inspired edition of the LeBron X. (Photo credit: Mache Custom Kicks)

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By Rob Mahoney

The sneaker industry has a long history of superhero-inspired colorways, but Mache Custom Kicks amped up the trend by transforming the LeBron X into a detailed homage to Iron Man. The paint job gives the shoe the illusion of metallic paneling, creating an extra level of texture and shade to an already angular design.

According to a SneakerWatch.com interview with Mache, LeBron James' representatives reached out to the company after seeing some of Mache's work on past LeBron sneakers. As the relationship progressed, James confessed to wanting a custom colorway -- a design that would be totally unique to him, and to be sold nowhere else. Thus the Iron Man design for the LeBron X was born, and when the customization was complete, Mache hand-delivered the shoes to James -- in a custom case, no less:

LeBron James receives his custom Iron Man-inspired shoes. (Photo credit: Mache Custom Kicks)

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All in all, it's phenomenal work, though unfortunately unavailable for purchase. If you love the design regardless of the model, however, you can pick up a pair of LeBron 9s with a similar Iron Man-inspired concept for the affordable price of $600. Such is the market for high-end, hand-painted sneakers, as the end product more closely resembles artwork on a structured canvas than any mere basketball shoe.

CBSSports.com's Eye on Basketball blog

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