In December 2011, Nike joined forces with Alvaro Ilizarbe, a well-known Miami artist also known as Freegums, to create a special colorway of the LeBron 9 sneakers as a gift for LeBron James on his 27th birthday. Taking inspiration from the concept of wormholes, Freegums incorporated his signature black and white abstract art on the inner lining and white toe of the shoe. The upper of the shoe is made of a black Hyperfuse shell and features red branding accents. The design is completed with a white outsole that surrounds a Nike Zoom unit in the forefoot and a Max 180 Air unit in the heel. LeBron personally wore this unique shoe during a game against the Boston Celtics on December 28, 2011.